Daily Times

Karachi Police, on Wednesday, detained seven polling agents including a woman on the complaint of a presiding officer in Korangi.

According to the complaint filed by the presiding officer, the polling agents who belonged to three different political parties were in possession of certain documents which were ‘fake’.

Karachi East Zone DIG Amir Farooqi said that the police had not formally arrested the suspects. “The seven people being questioned are polling agents of three different political parties whose candidates were contesting from NA-239 Karachi,” DIG Farooqi revealed.

According to DIG Farooqi, the polling agents were detained because they brought along Form-45 with them. He added that it was the responsibility of the presiding officer to provide them with Form-45.

Meanwhile, during interrogation the ‘detained’ polling agents stated that they had downloaded Form-45 from Election Commission of Pakistan’s website.

The polling agents have not yet been formally arrested. “We are looking into this complaint filed by the presiding officer. So far, the polling agents have not been arrested, they are just being detained for questioning,” stated DIG East Zone.

Hyderabad police officials also arrested a suspect for being in possession of ‘fake stamps’. Police officials informed media that the suspect was arrested outside a polling station in Tando Jam area of Hyderabad district. Police claim that ‘fake stamps’ were recovered from the suspect.

According to Hyderabad police, a suspect identified as Khan Muhammad was arrested from polling station 109 in NA-225 constituency and two new stamps, one pencil, sharpener and eraser, and a stamp pad were recovered from him. The arrested suspect was shifted to the police station for further interrogation.

Published in Daily Times, July 26^th 2018.