KARACHI:One person was killed and 10 others injured in the firing as violence flared up during by-election in NA-240 constituency in Korangi and Landhi areas of Karachi on Thursday.

The person who died was identified as Saifullah, aged 60. The bodies and injured were brought to JPMC. The injured include Idrees, Waleed, Khalid, Salman, Zeeshan Waris, Mohammed Idrees, Nabeel Habib and Aslam Ali. Firing incidents took place at six different points in the constituency.

The vehicle of Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader Anis Kaimkhani was fired upon in the city’s Korangi area amid the by-election for a National Assembly constituency. Fortunately, the PSP leader was not in the car when it was shot at. The police mobile moving along with Kaimkhani was also fired upon. An Edhi ambulance also came under firing in Landhi area.

PSP spokesperson said several workers, including party leader Iftikhar Aalam, sustained bullet injuries. The injured were moved to a hospital. PSP chief Mustafa Kamal claimed that the deceased person was a member of his party and added that several others were also injured.

“He was our party member, who was aged. He resided in Baldia. The TLP people attacked us,” the PSP chief said, rebutting the claims of the TLP that they were attacked. Kamal said that had the PSP used weapons, no one would be able to open fire at their offices and return safely. “They (TLP) are spewing lies. I appeal to the authorities that arrest them or give us weapons.”

Ruling out that his party resorted to violence, Kamal said his party members’ “lives were very precious to him” and that he wanted action to be taken against TLP for allegedly gunning down his party member. The administration officials said that five injured people were brought to the hospital. Sources at the facility explained that some had gunshot wounds, while others had sustained injuries after being beaten up with sticks.

The Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) alleged that its senior leaders and election office were attacked during polls. In a series of tweets, the PSP accused the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers of firing at its party chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal during a media talk. It added the party’s central leaders were also injured.

MQM-P has accused Mustafa Kamal of disturbing law and order in the area by bringing outsiders to the constituency during the by-election. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, taking serious notice of the firing incident in NA-240, said that nobody would be allowed to take law in his hands during the bye-election process.

Mr Shah directed IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon and AIG Karachi to take strict action against the persons involved in the firing incident and skirmishes. “We can’t allow anybody to disrupt the peaceful polling process,” he said. The CM urged political parties participating in the bye-election to demonstrate responsible attitude. “We are political people and would not allow violence,” he urged.

The NA-240 seat was vacated due to the death of MQM-Pakistan’s National Assembly member Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan. The number of registered voters in this constituency is 529,855. As many as 309 polling stations have been set up in 133 buildings for by-elections.

As many as 25 candidates, including MQM-P’s Abu Bakr, Mohajir Qaumi Movement’s Rafi Uddin Faisal, Pak Sarzameen Party’s (PSP) Shabbir Qaimkhani, PPP’s Nasir-Lodhi, and TLP’s Kashif Qadri were contesting elections for the seat. PTI and JI boycotted the by-elections.