LAHORE. Oct 9: Pakistanis voted today In provincial polls that will decide whether Benazir Bhutto, whose party won an Inconclusive victory in national elections, can return as prime minister of a viable government, report agencies.
Three days alter she emerged with the largest party in the National Assembly, the ex-premler and her arch-rival and successor Nawaz Sharif took to the streets of Lahore to drum up votes for their candidates for four provincial parliaments.
Supporters showered Bhutto with rose petals as her Jeep Inched its way through the narrow streets of the ancient capital of central Punjab province
"I am confident that, fed up with centre-province tensions, the provinces are going to go along with the party that has been elected at the centre", she said on Friday, forecasting a clean sweep for her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Workers of Sharifs Pakistan Muslim League (PML) waved green party flags as he drove all day around the city that is his power base. His party swept eight of the nine National Assembly seats from Lahore in Wednesday's national elections.
This 1* a crucial day because much depends on the results." Sharif said in an inter view. "If we win the provincial elections I think it will change tlie whole scenario."
Benazir Bhutto will need to have support from Punjab, the largest and the most influential of the country's four provinces and home to more than 70 mil lion of Pakistan's 120 million people.
Ms Bhutto spent Saturday touring polling stations in Lahore, the capital of Punjab. Her previous government collapsed in 1990 partly because the Punjab government opposed her. Nawaz Sharif faced similar problems and resigned In July.
The polls closed at 5:30 pm (1230 GMT) and voter turnout was light. It appeared about 40 per cent of registered voter* cast ballots, about the same as in the national election. Final results were not expected until Sunday.
Ms Bhuttos party is favoured in the southern province of Sindh, the second largest. In the smaller Baluchistan and northwest frontier provinces. Ms. Bhutto's party and Sharifs party were believed
to be running neck-and-neck.
The People's Party won 86 seals and Ms Bhutto claims to have enough alite* to guarantee the 109 seat* she needs to form a government In the 2 17 seat National Assembly
The test will come on Oct 19 when parliament meets to select a new prime minister
Ms Bhutto however warned of fresh election* if her party Isn't able to form the govern ment
"If the Pakistan People * Party can’t form a government there will'have to be fresh elections because nobody el*e can form the government', she said
Pakistani* had hoped general elections would put an end to the confrontational politics that have resulted in three elections within five years However many observers say the lack of a clear-cut result mean* the power struggles will continue
According to report*, polling in all the four province* were held in a peaceful manner
Nearly four thousand candidates contested for 481 seats of four provincial assemblies
Of the total contestants, 3770 fought for 458 Muslim seats while 217 candidates be
longing to minorities contested 33(23) se*s reserved ior the minority Christian. Hindu. Bud dhist. Parsee and Qadianl communities.
The Punjab assembly consists of 248 seats including 8 minorities, the Sindh — 109. including nine minorities, the NWFP — 83. including three minorities and Baluchlslan — 43. Including three minorities.
Ms Bhutto, whose party was edged out 52 seats to 47 in Punjab by Sharifs Muslim League during Wednesday's elections, appeared nervous, snapping at one party worker who told her things were going well: -You always say like this, .but the results are always different."
In a sign of the importance Bhutto attaches to the Punjab, she abandoned today all plans of returning to vote in her home constituency in Sindh, electing to stay at a friend's house In Lahore.
At one point Bhutto and Sharif uh bv accident at the seme polling station In northern Lahore's Nakhuda district, but Journalists said the two long-time political rivals point edly ignored one another before going their separate ways.
Witnesses described turnout as light to moderate, bolstered by candidates vehicles ferrying party faithful to the polling stations. PPP vehicles were out in force, they said.
Much enthusiasm was marked in the port city of Karachi during the polling today following participation in the provincial elections by the Moh ajer Qoumi Movement (MQM) which boycotted the National Assembly elections.
The ethnically based party representing Muslim immigrants from India won 27 seats In the 109-seat Sindh assembly in 1990 and was predicting 28 seats this time. The PPP won 55 last time.
150 held in Karachi
Meanwhile, security forces arrested 150 people in Karachi for allegedly trying to rig the polls.
It was the first incident of rigging in the army-supervised elections.
Those arrested have been charged with rigging elections and intimidating voters." a police officer said.
Officials declined to identify the political affiliation of those arrested but said they had presented false identity cards, which all voters must show, and had threatened voters.
Those arrested were workers of provincial candidate Irfanu-Ilah Khan Marwat, son-in-law of former President Ghulam Ishaq Khan who resigned with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last July in an army-brokered deal, a PPP official said. A spokesman for Marwat denied the charges.