SUKKUR: The first phase of local government elections in Sindh remained quite appalling as reports of violence, firing, kidnapping of polling staff, attack on polling stations and disruption in election process were reported on Sunday,
According to details, clashes erupted between JUI-F and PPP workers in ward 10 in Kandhkot. Thirty people were injured as they attacked each other with sticks while several vehicles also got damaged.
In Nawabshah, polling was stopped due to a commotion at Nadir Shah Dispensary polling station. The TLP candidate and voters protested over TLP’s missing voting symbol on the ballot paper.
In another incident, armed men stormed three polling stations of UC8 and took the ballot papers with them, causing delay in the electoral process.
In a dramatic move, 11 polling staffers were hijacked from the polling station of Tore Bungalow in Kandhkot district of Sindh during the local bodies elections on Sunday.
A gang of armed men entered the polling station of Tor Bungalow, abducted 11 polling staffers including a presiding officer and three polling agents at gunpoint. They also broke up CCTV cameras and took away ballot papers, ballot boxes and stamps.
However, 10 polling employees escaped and took shelter in the area. Heavy contingents of police rushed to the scene and searched for the hijacked staff. The incident has created panic in the area. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed elections at some wards in Ghotki district’s Mirpur Mathelo after wrong names of candidates were printed on ballot papers.
Reports of missing electoral symbols on ballot papers, male presiding officers deputed at women’s polling stations, and incomplete electoral rolls were received from other cities.
In Sukkur, a scuffle between PPP and JUI candidates also broke out that left two people injured including JUI general councilor candidate Ghulam Mustafa. The incident was reported in Fareed Mehr polling station in Pano Aqil.
Polling for the first phase of local government elections was underway today in 14 districts of the province including Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Mirpur Khas, Umarkot, Tharparkar, Sanghar, Naushehro Feroze, Kanbar-ShahdadKot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kahmor, Ghoki and Khairpur.
At least 21,298 candidates are in the field against 6,277 seats across Sindh. The ECP has established 9,023 polling stations, including 1,895 for women, to facilitate over 11 million registered voters.