'Peacock' shot by 'arrow' in NA-213 by-poll

If the preliminary and unofficial results of the bye-elections are correct, Pakistan Peoples Party's arrow seems to have hunted down the peacock, a symbol on which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Lal Malhi was contesting as an independent candidate on NA-213 Umerkot.

A one on one electoral battle unfolded in the constituency on Thursday between the PPP's Saba Talpur and Malhi, who was also supported by the Grand Democratic Alliance, the nationalist parties, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and many other smaller political entities.

However, the initial and unconfirmed results of 498 polling stations, have put the independent candidate trailing far behind Talpur with a gap of around 74,000 votes. Talpur was polled some 148,965 votes against Malhi's 74,515 votes.

The NA-213 became vacant after demise of the PPP's Nawab Yousuf Talpur, husband of Saba Talpur, on February 19. He was elected MNA from that area for six terms from 1993 to 2024 besides winning a provincial assembly's seat in 1977.

Malhi, at a press conference held immediately after the end of the polling process, announced a shutter down strike in Umerkot for Friday in reaction to what he alleged to be a rigged election process. He demanded that result of the election should be withheld until a free and fair inquiry in the manner in which the alleged blatant rigging has been carried out can be conducted.

"Force, fake votes, government machinery, partisan polling staff and violence were used to get the votes," he claimed.

Interestingly, the PPP also accused the PTI's Malhi for the rigging and violence. MPA Nawab Taimur Talpur, the candidate's son, alleged that the PPP's workers were assaulted and injured at polling station numer 261 at Jamal Makhrani by the PTI's workers.

"Our brothers from the Oad Hindu community were attacked." He also produced the injured workers before the media. "The PTI had sensed defeat and its workers then resorted to violence." He claimed that he will ensure that the police brought the culprits to the book.

The supporters of the two parties also engaged themselves in a brawl at PS Shehwani Mohalla but the police later managed to disperse them. A heated argument and exchange of hot words between the two sides also occurred at another PS in Bustan but timely police action prevented the situation from flaring up.

The independent candidate during his visit to PS Ibrahim Rind complained that the PPP's UC Chairman Ameer Hussain Khaskheli was influencing the poling process.

On his complaint the police made him to leave the PS but only after Malhi and Khaskheli had exchanged some hot words. The voting process was temporarily suspended at PS Qazi Sultan Higher Secondary School.

In the evening thousands of supporters of PTI, GDA and other parties held a protest in Umerkot, calling for an impartial inquiry into the polling process.

As many as 608,997 people were registered to vote in the constituency in which some 18 candidates contested for the seat but the real clash occurred between only two of them. Some 1,816 polling booths were set up in 498 polling stations. The Election Commission of Pakistan had declared 91 PS as very sensitive and 269 sensitive. More than 4,200 policemen were deployed in addition to personnel of Rangers.