By-election 2013: Smooth voting amid bouts of disorder

Two killed in poll-related violence, scuffles reported in Punjab polling stations.

FAISALABAD/ QUETTA/ KARACHI:

A bomb scare disrupted polling in NA-262 (Qila Abdullah) and the Election Commission staff moved the polling station to an alternative place to restart balloting on Thursday.

Unknown men left two drums near the Haji Bakht Street and Shah Sawar polling stations during the voting. After rumours of bomb spread, the voting process was disrupted and restarted after three hours.

A contingent of Pakistan Army seized the drums and called its bomb disposal squad from Quetta. The bomb disposal squad checked the drums extensively and only found dust.

Apart from the bomb scare, one man was killed while three others were injured in an exchange of fire during the voting process in NA-262.

The armed clash was reported between members of a religious party and a political party at the Jungle Pir Alizai polling station. Many people protested against the incident and blocked the National Highway for some time.

Separately, explosives were found from a polling station in Chaman.

Meanwhile, voting in NA-235 (Sanghar) was also marred by violence where a man said to be a relative of PML-F candidate Khuda Bux Dars was killed and four others were wounded. PML-F MPA Jam Madad Ali blamed PPP legislator Roshan Deen Junejo for the killing. “Dars was hit by Junejo’s vehicle who died [on the spot],” he alleged.

An exchange of aerial firing between PPP and PML-F supporters preceded the incident, which took place at the Dalyar polling station No. 58. “Some PPP leaders opened fire but they were surrounded by PML-F supporters and as Junejo and his men tried to speed away, their vehicle hit these men,” Ali claimed.

PPP’s youth wing leader Tanvir Arain denied the allegations and said PML-F workers were harassing his party’s minority voters and not allowing them to cast their vote. “They blocked the road leading to the polling station and resorted to aerial firing.” Other PPP leaders Senator Aajiz Dhamrah, MNA Roshan Junejo and MPA Sardar Shah also reached the site to ‘support their party members’.

PPP candidate Shazia Marri, who also came to the polling station later, said, “The opponents are facing defeat, therefore, they have resorted to coercive tactics.” Polling was suspended around 1:15 pm for more than an hour.

No case was registered until the filing of this report.

Meanwhile, army troops arrested PPP MPA Bahadur Dahiri for brandishing weapons in the Malook Mahar polling station. He was later handed over to the police.

At least 40 PML-F workers were arrested for displaying weapons outside the Talah Shah polling station. A case has been lodged against them in Nauabad police station for violating Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The PML-F MPA Jam Madad Ali organised a protest against the arrest outside the police station. He claimed that the police are not arresting the PPP leaders and workers who are openly carrying weapons. “The law should be one for all.”

Although the Pakistan Army, Rangers and the police took control of all the three by-poll constituencies in Karachi, five people were injured during a scuffle among workers of two political parties in Korangi. No other major incident took place in the otherwise violence-prone metropolis.

The brawl took place at the NA-254’s polling station No. 40 in Korangi’s Vita Chowrangi area. Police said members of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) clashed with each other over unknown reasons.

Talking to The Express Tribune PTI worker Javed Ali, accompanied by three others – Zeeshan Niazi, Sultan Shah and Major (retd) Amir – was going towards the polling stations when gunmen stopped them in a black Toyota Corolla and started a fight. He insinuated that they were MQM supporters.

On the contrary, MQM members denied the claims and said PTI men were trying to cast bogus votes. PTI resorted to violence when they were stopped, and two of MQM’s members were injured.  SHO Abbas Kolachi said that members of both the parties threw stones at each other, but fortunately, no one used firearms.

There were reports of polls-related scuffles and altercations in Faisalabad, too, in the two constituencies NA-83 and PP-51. Voting, although, was rather peaceful as 40 polling stations were declared ‘sensitive’.

In NA-83’s polling station No.125, a scuffle broke out between supporters of PML-N and PTI. Polling agents who supported either party also joined in. The men shouted abuses at each other, and slapping and manhandling ensued.

Due to the fight, the polling staff had to suspend voting for an hour. Law-enforcement agencies were called in to take control of the situation.

At Islamabad’s F-10 polling station, security frisking at the gates was almost nonexistent. The police were seen letting voters inside without proper checking.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2013.