NOWSHERA/LADHA, May 11: Mismanagement and poorly-prepared voter lists marred election process at polling stations set up for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Jalozai camp and Dera Ismail Khan on Saturday where majority of voters protested omission of their names from the lists.

Polling started three hours late at Jalozai camp, housing thousands of IDPs from Khyber Agency, because of flaws in voter lists. Voters staged protest demonstration outside polling stations and alleged that names of genuine IDPs were missing from the lists and non-IDPs had been registered.

Disorder was also witnessed at a polling station set up for the IDPs from NA-37, Kurram Agency, at Ring Road, Peshawar, and supporters of rival candidates blamed each another for casting bogus votes. Scuffling among polling agents and voters disrupted polling process.

The Elections Commission of Pakistan had set up polling stations for IDPs at Jalozai camp and food distribution centres in Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Peshawar, Kohat and Hangu. According to reports, voters’ turnout at IDPs camp for Orakzai Agency in Hangu district remained low.

Names of thousands of voters were missing from the lists. Of the 24 candidates for NA-46, Khyber Agency, 23 boycotted polling and stopped polling at eight polling stations at Jalozai camp. Female voters also cast their votes.

Official said that total 20,288 voters were registered, including 10,961 females, for which eight polling stations were established amid tight security. Army and Khasadar troops were deployed at the polling stations.

The parties that announced boycott of the polls included PTI, JI, PML-N, PPP, QWP, Qabail Tehreek and some independent candidates. Rival candidates accused ex-MNA Hameedullah Jan of mismanagement and rigging.

PTI candidate Iqbal Khan Afridi told Dawn that political agent Mutahir Zeb and the ECP officials had deliberately dropped the names of genuine IDPs and included bogus names of residents of Nowshera.

“My name and about 14,000 IDPs of Malikdinkhel tribe are missing from the lists,” he alleged.

Mohammad Rafique, a supporter of Mohammad Shah (independent), said that the situation turned ugly when voters found their names missing from the lists, while according to the ECP mobile phone service their votes were registered at the same polling stations.

Supporters of Hamidullah Jan said that majority of the IDPs were not educated and they had been searching their names at wrong places.

Assistant presiding officer Fayaz Ahmad admitted that some names of the IDPs were missing from lists provided to them and polling agents. Zaffar Afridi, son of ex-MNA Waris Khan, the results would be not acceptable to them.

Polling process remained disturbed at various polling stations established for IDPs from South Waziristan at Gomal University, D.I. Khan. Hundreds of voters were waiting inside polling stations after 5:00pm for their turn.

Candidates for NA-42 brought their voters from Karachi, Hyderabad and other parts of the country.