PTI, ANP clash in NA-1 amid volleying accusations

Haroon Bilour’s guards trashed a PTI stall after PTI workers attempted to intimidate ANP’s female polling agents.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Awami National Party (ANP) took centre stage in NA-1, Peshawar – in both the by-polls and polling station clashes.

Both parties had the support of other mainstream players in these elections: Qaumi Watan Party and Jamaat-e-Islami backed the PTI candidate, and Pakistan Peoples Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl supported the ANP candidate.

While no major security lapses were reported in the city till the filing of this report, ANP and PTI scuffles dotted the electoral landscape. However, most of these quickly dispersed.



A confrontation between PTI and ANP workers took place at the Sheikhabad women’s polling station when PTI workers reportedly entered the station and attempted to interrupt the voting process. A heated exchange was witnessed between PTI activists and ANP’s women polling agents at which point the security forces on hand removed the PTI workers.

After word spread, Haroon Bilour, the nephew of Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, reached the area with a dozen gunmen. The armed men tossed furniture in the PTI voters’ list stall outside. ANP workers also allegedly tried to assault the rival party’s men and one worker, identified as Basart, was severely beaten up when he tried to enter the polling station.

The confrontation ended at the intervention of the Gulbahar police.

In Wazir Bagh, polling was put on hold when both parties levelled accusations of voter manipulation. “They (ANP) are going inside stations quite freely and persuading the women to vote in their favour,” said PTI worker Shahid Hussain. The ANP workers had the same to say about their rival’s activities as tensions escalated.

“Despite the presence of so many security officials and the prohibition on the exhibition of weapons by the Election Commission of Pakistan, party workers are displaying arms to intimidate each other and are roaming around the polling stations,” said Muhammad Taib, an onlooker.

The PTI and its allies protested against ANP workers around Aasiya Gate; the protesters alleged the ANP was trying to influence the electoral process inside stations.

“It is such violence which has a negative impact on women voting in the constituency; the expected low turnout will only be reduced further,” complained Zeenat Bibi who had cast her vote. Heavy contingents of the police and Pakistan Army were deployed at almost all the polling stations around NA-1. However, due to clashes between workers, voter turnout remained low at most stations as the electoral process continued at snail’s pace.

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