Election violence: Independent poll candidate gunned down in Jhal Magsi

Three workers killed, two injured in attack; brother of deceased candidate blames political opponents.

MANSEHRA/ QUETTA:

Abdul Fateh Magsi, an independent election candidate from Jhal Magsi, Balochistan, was gunned down along with three of his colleagues by unidentified armed men.

The Election Commission of Pakistan postponed elections in the area following the incident, which also left two people injured.

Jhal Magsi Deputy Commissioner Saeed Umrani told The Express Tribune that the attack was targeted and the unidentified armed men opened fire on Abdul Fateh Magsi, who was contesting elections from PB 32, in Jhal Magsi.

The candidate and three of his workers – identified as Abdul Rashid Magsi, Raban Khan Magsi and Jani Laskani Magsi – were killed on the spot, while two others sustained injuries.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, while security forces have launched a search operation for the criminals. However, an arrest is yet to be made.

A few days earlier, Abdul Fateh and the NA 267 candidate Abdul Raheem Rind held a joint press conference to express their dissatisfaction over the Jhal Magsi administration. They claimed they were receiving threats from ‘influential’ figures and had made a complaint in this regard with the ECP.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Abdul Fateh’s brother Manzoor Ahmed Magsi said that a convoy of the candidate was on its way to Jhal Magsi from the Kharani area, when they were stopped by some political opponents. “They told Fateh to step out of the vehicle to talk,” Manzoor said. He added that they wanted his brother to withdraw from the polls but when he refused, they opened fire on him. He alleged that the men kidnapped nine other workers and fled.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Balochistan Election Commissioner Sayed Sultan Bayazid confirmed that the elections in the area had been postponed following the killing of the independent candidate but a notification has not been issued yet.

ANP candidate’s office torched

The office of an Awami National Party candidate in the remote Torghar district of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was set on fire by unidentified men, police said on Tuesday. However, no loss of life or injuries was reported.

Police said the miscreants torched office of Namroz Khan, former provincial minister for religious affairs and ANP’s candidate for PK 58 Torghar, Monday evening.

When contacted, Khan confirmed the incident but refrained from naming anyone as the accused.

However, he said his opponents were frustrated due to his popularity and his successful comeback, and were thus resorting to undemocratic methods of removing him.

The police has registered a case against unidentified accused and has launched an investigation.

A police source, however, ruled out the involvement of banned outfits.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2013.