PTI candidate Tariq Tarrar hurls abusive comments at polling agents. PHOTO: AFP
The situation intensified as PML-N and PTI activists began firing at each other as by-polls were under way in the city. Three injured workers of the two parties were rushed to the hospital.
The activists were seen brandishing arms and engaging in aerial firing and scuffle.
PHOTO: EXPRESS NEWS SCREENGRAB
Further, Rangers arrived at the polling station to take control of the situation as PTI activists destroyed polling camps at Sir Syed College, which resulted in the polling being suspended.
PHOTO: EXPRESS NEWS SCREENGRAB
PHOTO: EXPRESS NEWS SCREENGRAB
The voting process remained dismal at some of the polling stations where the turnout was really low as one of these witnessed casting of only 700 as against the registered 3,000 voters.
PTI embroiled in yet another controversy
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf found itself embroiled in controversy once again during by-elections in Mandi Bahauddin.
As elections commenced at 8am, PTI candidate Tariq Tarrar learnt that his polling agents allegedly barred from siting inside the Degree College polling station. The irked candidate is said to have hurled abusive remarks polling authorities as a result.
"I will burn everything down if my polling agents are not allowed to sit here," Tarrar stated.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has taken notice of the incident and has demanded a report from DRO Mandi Bahauddin.
Read: G-B legislative assembly polls underway
The presiding officer, on the other hand, told Express News, "No polling officers stopped PTI's agents; they failed to arrive on time due to which polling was delayed too."
Out of the 289 polling stations set up in the constituency by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 62 have been declared sensitive.
According to reports, candidates belonging to various parties, including PTI, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan Muslim League-Qauid (PML-Q) and Awami Tehreek are participating in the elections along with for the constituency that fell vacant after the disqualification of PTI's MNA Ijaz Chaudhry.
Read: Post-poll manoeuvres: PTI calls APC over rigging allegations ahead of strike
Further, PTI candidates and Chaudhry claimed that the PML-N was taking advantage of being in power and pressurising voters to vote for its candidates.
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