TOBA TEK SINGH-Polling for the general elections was held on Wednesday peacefully amid stringent security measures adopted by the law enforcing agencies.
The Pak Army’s 4413 and Pakistan Rangers’ 120 soldiers performed their duty in the district to maintain peace at polling stations. DPO Zulfiqar Ahmad said 2085 policemen, 110 Qaumi Razakars and 3,659 special policemen were also deputed for same purpose while 926 lady health workers were also deputed at women polling stations.
He added that out of 1228 polling stations, 92 were declared as A category sensitive while 227 as B category and 908 as C category sensitive in the district where extraordinary arrangements were made to maintain law and order situation in control.
Besides, Elite Force Commandos, Anti-Riot reserve policemen and Quick Response Force also remained present for facing any alert situation at anywhere in the district, he further stated. The polling started at 8:00am and continued till 6:00pm without any break.
However, the voters who were present in the polling stations at 6.00pm were allowed to cast votes. PTI and PML-N leaders and candidates frequently visited the polling stations of different constituencies all the day and they expressed satisfaction over the polling arrangements.
At more than a dozen polling stations, election camps of different candidates were removed as they were not in the limit of 100 meters in cities and 400 meters in villages. Scuffle also took place at a number of polling stations between the supporters of PTI and PML-N however police forced them to leave the area over which peaceful atmosphere was restored.
Senator Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar visited a number of camps of PTI candidates outside polling stations where PTI activists raised slogans in favour of Imran Khan.
In Chak 295/JB Devidaspur, no woman could cast their votes as their men had jointly decided in this regard that women will not go to polling station. In NA-111 constituency of Gojra outside the polling station of Chak 297/JB, scuffle took place between supporters of PML-N candidate Khalid Javed Warraich and Pakistan National Muslim League nominee Amjad Ali Warraich, both are real brothers.
Sticks were used by men of both groups against each other. As a result, four of the PML-N activists were injured seriously and they were admitted to Gojra THQ Hospital. Police however later controlled the situation.