KARACHI: Election day passes off peacefully in city
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 10: Election day passed off peacefully in the city as no major incident of violence was reported from anywhere.
Police made elaborate security arrangements to enable the people to exercise their right to vote in a peaceful atmosphere.
However, minor scuffles took place between activists of various parties and cases of harassment were reported in some areas. Some of these areas were Baldia Town, Pirabad, Azizabad, Landhi, Manghopir, Khokhrapar and Al-Falah. There were 3,710 polling stations in the city.
A scuffle took place between workers of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and the Awami National Party (ANP) at Khan Children School in Swat Colony, Baldia Town. This caused tension and polling came to a halt for a while. Police controlled the situation before it could get out of hand.
Scuffles also took place between workers of the two parties at Khyber Muslim School No 5 and Islamia School No 5 in Pirabad where polling stopped for more than an hour. Police and Rangers brought the situation under control.
Police said the councillor of UC-2 in Azizabad, Riaz, with Altaf, visited camps of various parties at HEF School in FB Area and asked voters to cast their votes for the MMA. This was opposed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and polling stopped for some time at noon. Police tactfully defused the tension and polling resumed.
Voters at Government Girls Primary School polling station in Landhi 5 1/2 said workers of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) entered the polling station and harassed voters. This resulted in scuffles between Haqiqi and MMA workers. This created tension causing panic among voters. Police and Rangers controlled the situation around 11:30am. Haqiqi workers also entered other polling stations in Landhi 5 1/2, but police controlled the situation and polling continued smoothly.
In Manghopir, a scuffle between workers of the MQM (Muttahida) and the PPP was reported at Omar Farooq School in Islamia Colony, which led to suspension of polling for some time. Contingents of police arrived there and managed the situation. At the same polling station, another scuffle took place between workers of these two parties which caused nervousness among voters. Police soon controlled the situation.
Police said 20-25 workers of the MQM (Muttahida) came to the election camp of the Haqiqi near Shabana Cinema, Park F, South Area, in Khokhrapar police limits and urged voters to cast their votes for their party. They also threatened voters with dire consequences. This caused tension, but normality returned after the arrival of police and Rangers, police added.
Tension developed at Shan Grammar High School in Zaman Town, Korangi, when heated arguments took place between the polling agents of the MQM (Muttahida) and the Haqiqi. The presiding officer handed over the polling agent of the Haqiqi, Irfan, to police. After this polling continued smoothly.
Tension prevailed at the polling station at Happy Deal School in Nazimabad where the MQM (Muttahida) accused the UC-9 Nazim, Mansoor Ahmed, of working to influence voters to vote for the MMA, in connivance with the presiding officer and police. However, polling continued despite the tension.
