PESHAWAR: No incident of mismanagement or violence was reported as re-polling for local governments took place at 360 polling stations in 14 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Thursday amid tight security by the police and the army.

Polling at these stations was either stopped on May 30 (the LG election day) or declared void by the relevant returning officers due to violent disturbance and poor management.

Journalists were denied access to polling stations to cover the electoral process.

The media had highlighted mismanagement and disorder inside polling stations during the May 30 local body elections.

The barring of media from covering re-polling drew criticism from politicians, candidates and civil society activists, who insisted the move was made to hide the alleged rigging by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and incompetence of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

In view of the massive mismanagement and unruliness on May 30, heavy deployment of police and army was seen at and around polling stations.

The police and army personnel bodysearched voters three to four times before they reached polling booth to ballot.

The voter turnout in rural areas was high but in urban areas, voters didn`t go to polling stations in large numbers possibly because the government didn`t declare a public holiday for re-polling.

The political parties and independent candidates had established camps at a distance from polling stations.

During a visit to the Hazarkhwani II ward, a long queue of voters was seen outside the polling station despite scorching heat.

`I have come to the polling station at 7am and cast vote at 12:30pm,` one of the voters told Dawn.He said normally, the casting of vote took five to six minutes but due to presence of a large number of voters, it took five hours for him to reach ballot box.

A candidates told Dawn that the process of casting ballot was a bit fast compared to the previous election day.

He said by 11am, 160 votes were polled in one of booths.

The presence of voters was thin at the two separate polling stations set up in Bhana Mari area.

`I cast my vote in 10 minutes,` a voter said outside the Ghala Godam polling station.

At the polling station established at the Government Primary School, Bahana Mari, the number of police and army personnel was higher than women voters.

The people in some areas complained they faced problems in reaching polling stations as security officials closed nearby roads and streets.

The police and ECP officials arrested several people in different areas for having fake ballot papers.

Cases were registered in the respective police stations against them.

JUI-F Peshawar district chief Maulana Khairul Bashar said keeping the media away from the polling station was tantamount to rigging by the provincial government.`Actually, the government wanted to hide everything happening inside the polling station,` he said.

The JUI-F leader alleged the ECP officials spoiled votes polled to the candidates of political parties other than PTI by stamping at other symbols.

Pakistan People`s Party leader Zulfiqar Afghani told Dawn that majority of voters couldn`t exercise their constitutional right of vote because the government had not declared a public holiday for the day of re-polling.

`We have reports that bundles of fake ballot papers reached Peshawar city to rig elections,` he said.

During the re-polling, the PPP leader said security situation was good and satisfactory, while the transparency of elections was doubtful as journalists were not allowed to observe the polling process.

Earlier, the ECP had announced re-polling on July 5 but on July 3, the Peshawar High Court stayed it for several reasons.

In the May 30 polling, the PTI had done better than other political parties by winning 256 of the total of 978 district council seats.

The ruling party was followed by the Awami National Party with 106 district council seats.According to the ECP, the re-polling took place at 88 polling stations in Nowshera, 70 in Karak, 45 in Charsadda, 42 in Mardan, 30 in Bannu, 29 in Peshawar, 17 in Swabi, eight in Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan each, seven in Abbottabad, six in Mansehra, five in Kohat, four in Hangu and one in Buner district.

In Lakki Marwat, re-polling occurred at eight polling stations of four wards of the district amid tight security.

Heavy contingent of the police and Pakistan Army were deployed in and around polling stations to maintain peace and avert any eventuality.

No untoward incident was reported in the district.

Besides providing power generators for polling staff at polling stations, the local administration also set up tents for voters outside polling stations.

In Mardan, re-polling for local bodies took place at 42 polling stationsin 10 union councils of the district peacefully.

Deputy Commissioner Shahidullah Khan had banned the assembly of five or more people at a place by imposing Section 144 across the district to maintain law and order.

According to unofficial results, PTI district council candidate Abdus Sattar won the elections in Muhib Banda union council by getting 2,098 votes against his rival, Hazrat Ali of JUI-F, who secured 1,371votes.

In Maday Baba union council, independent candidate Abdur Rehman obtained 2,326 votes by defeating rival Shah Hussain of JUI-F, who obtained 1,545 votes.

In Charsadda, re-polling was held in 15 union councils of the total 46 union council peacefully.

Four women were caught with 76 fake ballot papers at Punjpao union council polling station.

The police registered a case against them at Shabgadar police station.

In Karak, re-polling took place at 15 of the 21 union councils in the district.

No untoward incident was reported.

In Nowshera, re-polling for local governments occurred at 88 polling stations amid tight security. Long queues of voters were seen at polling stations.