Daily Times

DADU: Four activists were injured on Wednesday after a clash between two rival political groups in front of a female polling station in Kazi Arif village of PS-84 Mehar Taluka in Dadu district.

Reportedly, a brawl erupted between supporters of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after exchanging harsh words with each other.

Consequently, two PPP activists Mohammad Saddiq Mahisar and Azizullah Managi, and two PTI activists Abbas Mahisar and Altaf Mahisar sustained critical injuries. Meanwhile, the injured were shifted to Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) in Larkana where doctors stated condition of Sadiq Mahisar to be serious.

Police officers resumed the polling process after it was closed for an hour when the Dadu senior superintendent of police (SSP) Tanvir Ahmed Tunio rushed to the spot to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

Later, the SSP Tunio informed that seven suspects were arrested for using rifles, axes and pistols during the conflict.

The PTI’s Information secretary of Hyderabad division Dr Ghulam Abbas Mahisar claimed that PPP workers were attempting to cast fake votes, and when PTI’s workers intervened, they opened fire on them. The overall situation was observed to be peaceful in Dadu amid tight security by police, rangers and armed forces personnel.

Due to lack of election material, a delay of one hour was observed in the polling stations of PS-85 and NA-233 in Dadu.

Furthermore, polling stations of Mureed Khan Babar in PS-86 and Khichar Panhwar in PS-85 did not initiate balloting till 10 am due to unavailability of ink.

Another clash occurred between PPP and PTI workers in Kakar village, constituency of PS-83 KN Shah in Dadu, in which two workers were injured.

The PTI candidate for NA-234, constituency of Mehar-KN Shah, Liaquat Ali Jatoi went to his native village of Betto Jatoi for casting his vote. In urban areas of the district, male and female turnout was reported as 41 and 40 percent, respectively. Likewise, in rural areas, male and female turnout was reported as 46 and 45 percent, respectively.

Published in Daily Times, July 26^th 2018.