Parties blame each other for violence

Officials at many polling stations flee to save their lives

KARACHI:

Political parties blamed each other for the election day violence that left one dead and several injured in NA 240 constituency.

Pak Sarzameen Party Chairman Mustafa Kamal said that Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers opened fire on the office and polling camp of PSP.

He claimed that PSP activist Saifuddin died due to firing by TLP men, while many other workers were injured. One PSP leader and former MPA Iftikhar Alam was also injured by TLP gunfire, Kamal said. “Police disappeared when TLP attacked our main office,” Kamal said.

In another incident, TLP workers opened fire on the vehicle of PSP Vice Chairman Anees Qaimkhani, however, he was not present in the car. The miscreants also opened fire on police mobile escorting Qaimkhani’s car, he said.

He demanded of the government to bring the perpetrators of violence to justice.

TLP

The spokesperson for TLP Karachi has urged the government to take strict action against PSP gunmen for attacking unarmed workers of TLP.

The spokesman claimed in a statement that PSP workers opened fire on the vehicles of TLP supporters, created panic in the constituency, ran amok, shutting down shops and markets in Korangi and Landi areas and tried to disrupt the peace. PSP resorted to violence when it saw its defeat, the TLP statement added.

He said that five TLP workers were injured in firing incidents. In the first incident TLP Pakistan leader Allama Ghulam Ghaus Baghdadi’s car came under fire in which three TLP workers including two guards were injured.

When TLP chief Allama Saad Hasan Rizvi got the news of the incident he rushed to the area to defuse the tensions, however, PSP elements also fired bullets on his cavalcade leaving two workers injured.

MQM-P

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in a statement issued from it Bahadurbad office said that hooliganism by PSP and TLP disrupted the polling process that eventually led to change in the election results.

MQM-P has strongly condemned violence at Government Boys Primary School Ansari Mohalla UC20 Landhi, Korangi UC23, YMC polling station Korangi and hundreds of other polling stations.

The statement said that, both the parties ¬ PSP and TLP ¬ seeing their defeat resorted to violence and vandalism to cause fear among voters.

GDA

The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) a coalition against PPP refused to accept the results of NA 240 by-elctions. “There was nothing but violence and rigging at gunpoint in the NA 240 by elections,” said GDA candidate Tanveer Chaudhry.

Moreover, the voters’ lists were incorrect, he said pointing out that voters went to the polling stations identified by the government’s 8300 SMS service, but their names were not mentioned. Many voters kept going from one polling station to another in search of their vote.

Changing polling stations abruptly is a planned rigging tactics, Tanveer said.

As per reports, in many polling stations, the polling staff ran away to save their lives, while in many instances, they locked up the premises and ducked in corners.

There was a clash between activists of political parties at polling station number 53. During the scuffle, some men broke the ballot boxes, while others took away the CCTV device.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2022.