One person was shot dead and 10 others were injured in the outbreak of violence in Karachi on Thursday during by-elections NA-240 (Korangi Karachi II), with rival political parties—Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Muttahid Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P)—point fingers at each other.
Police Surgeon Dr. Summaya Syed confirmed Dawn.com that the victims were taken to Jinnah Landha Postgraduate Medical Center. area.
She said Saifuddin Kalim was delivered dead at JPMC and received bullet wounds on his head.
A little of victims identified as 18-year- old Walid Qudrutullah with bullet wounds on his knee, Mohammed Idris, 30, Khalid Chohan, 42, Salman Aslam, 35, Zeeshan Waris, 34, Aslam Ali, 35, and Nabil Habib, 38, who got injured on them head and other areas caused on hard and blunt instruments.
representative for The Edhi Foundation stated that one of the wounded Iftikhar Alam was fired on in interrogation-related violence and taken to Liaquat National Hospital. He said Alam was former MPA and central leader PSP.
PSP claimed that senior leaders and elections office were attacked during the voting.
AT series of tweets, PSP blamed TLP workers of firing on his party Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal during media speak. it added in the partythe main leaders of Russia were also injured.
In another tweet, PSP announced that its central election office was attacked when Kamal and party attended by President Anis Kaimkhani in in office.
party also blamed DMK-P of staging”deadly attack” on Kamal in Lundy-6.
The PSP released a statement from its spokesperson blaming MQM-P, Electoral Committee members and the presiding officer. of conspiring to rig a by-election. “DMK will no longer be allowed win stamping and rigging,” said the representative of the press service.
Meanwhile, MQM-P MPA Khawaja Ijarul Hasan stated that over 10 incidents of violence against his party workers took place during the by-election.
During a conversation with Dawn Newshe claimed that at least eight MQM-P workers were “brutally tortured” by PSP members. in presence of police and rangers. He claimed that “PSP terrorists” broke into polling stations and beat up polling station staff. “They did it in in last hour of vote, “Hasan added.
The MPA stated that violence initially broke out between TLP and PSP activists, but both sides then harassed and tortured MQM-P workers.
He asked how in city the administration held a local government elections, when such elements roamed freely and could disrupt law and order at any moment.
The Edhi Foundation showed no mercy
The Edhi Foundation reported that during the violence and firing in Lundy-6 ambulance of in foundationit was on duty to save the wounded, was fired upon, but all employees were safe and continued their activities.
An on-duty Edhi worker said Dawn news that he was warned about three or four wounded people and went to save them when two unknown on the motorcycle asked him where he was going.
“I said I was going pick up wounded and then took out gun and fired. I don’t know where are the bullets hit but by the time I reached [the injured] was moved by Edhi ambulance,” he said.
Sindh CM and the Electoral Commission take note
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notification of violence and instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon not allow anyone take the law into your own hands.
“Elections environment should keep the peace,” he said, calling on all political parties remain peaceful and exhibition responsible behavior.
talking to Dawn newsSindh Minister of Information Sharjil Inam Memon said the violence is mostly took place in areas where there were no polling stations and police contingent.
“Regions with there were no clashes between activists at any polling station of political parties”, minister said, adding that the chief minister ordered IGP arrest those responsible for disturbing the peace during the elections.
Chief Electoral Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja too took “serious notice” of in various incidents that have taken place in today’s by-election. In a message, he sent the Commissioner for Elections of the province of Sindh ensure strict measures for board against culprits such as registration of a first information report.
Message added that the comprehensive report should also sent to the electoral commission of Pakistan, after which legal action will be taken at the commission level.
Sindh Electoral Commissioner Ejaz Anwar Chauhan spoke to the IGP and Sindh Chief Secretary Muhammad Sohail Rajput about poll-related violence.
He asked them issue instructions for concerned law enforcement authorities in in area and immediately arrest anyone who tried to disrupt the electoral process.
Chauhan said that the heavy contingent of police and rangers should be deployed during the counting process to prevent any adverse incident.
He also instructed the district officer upon return to take strict measures against those who try to interfere in the voting process and do not show leniency should be shown in in this respect.
PTI leader Ali Haider Zaidi said he was saddened by the violence witnessed in the by-election and called on all warring parties show patience.
twenty five candidates in Competition
Above half one million registered voters of The NA-240s were expected to exercise their democratic and constitutional right. in by-election today, in which among the 25 competing candidates main fight expected between MQM-P, PPP and TLP.
Additional polls in constituency of the National Assembly, which became vacant after death of MQM-P MNA Iqbal Muhammad Ali in April succeeded. attract interest of political parties, but this could not create much campaigning during campaigns compared to past trends.
NA-240 includes areas that were once part of of in former ON-255 and various areas of NA-254 as a new constituency was created after the delimitation of constituencies on the foundation of temporary results of 2017 population census by combining both former constituencies of National Assembly.
total population of constituency is considered in 2017 census is 853,973 while registered voters in NA-240 is 529,855, including 294,385 male and 235,470 female voters.
BUT total of 309 polling stations and 1236 voting booths were set up for elections in constituency. The Electoral Commission and Security Administration declared 203 polling stations “very secret” and 106 “secret.”
Mainly dominated by Urdu speakers, constituency moderately of pockets of residents of other language groups.
FROM total of 25 candidates in in runamong main among the participants Mohammed Abu Bakar of MQM-P, Shahzada Shahbaz of TLP, Nasir Rahim of PNP, Shabbir Ahmed Kaimkhani of PSP, Syed Rafiuddin of MMK with number of independent candidates.
One hour before voting on Wednesday, PML-N announced exit the process in service of PPS.
