KABUL (PAN): Mohammad Alam, an 85-year-old blind man who went to a voter registration centre with the help of his 12-year-old grandchild, is impatiently waiting for Election Day to cast his vote.

The octogenarian, who was not issued with a voter registration card during the previous elections, is keen to exercise his franchise this time around. He described the August 20 elections as a milestone in determining the country's future.

In a brief chat with Pajhwok Afghan News, he argued even though he could not see anything, yet his grandchild would take him to a polling station to vote for a contender of his choice. He called upon all countrymen to cast their votes in the upcoming elections.

Pointing to his prayer rug, Alam said. "Except praying five times a day and seeking Afghanistan's prosperity, I can't contribute anything else to the welfare of my nation."

The incumbent president, Hamid Karzai, was a symbol of national unity, said Alam. He stressed the next president must keep the promises made to the nation during electioneering.