ISLAMABAD, Feb 18: Nineteen people were killed and 157 others were injured in countrywide election-related violence on Monday, caretaker Interior Minister Lt-Gen (retd) Hamid Nawaz told Dawn. However, according to independent reports, the number of casualties may be higher.

The minister said that nine died in Punjab, seven in Sindh and three in NWFP. He did not give any casualty figures for Balochistan, where four people were reported to have been killed. According to independent reports, the overall death toll in the country was 26.

“Despite 19 deaths, the government considers the election quite peaceful with no incident of terrorism in any part of the country,” the caretaker minister said.

“We are happy that neither any incident of terrorism nor any obstacle in the election process was reported in the country,” he said.

Private TV channels reported that clashes had taken place between supporters of different political in Khairpur, Gujranwala, Chakwal, Kamoki, Mirpur, Jacobabad, Muzzafargarh, Mandi Bahauddin, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Charsadda, Sukkur, Gujar Khan, Shikarpur, Hangu, Gakharmandi, Sialkot, Samandri, Sanghar and Peshawar.

Lahore correspondent adds: At least 12 people were killed and over three dozens were injured in poll-related violence in different districts of Punjab.

Three people were killed in Sialkot and Narowal districts.

In Bahawalnagar, PPP’s Rana Khawar died in cross firing in Chak No 102 Fateh, Chishtian. PPP and PML-Q workers clashed and fired on Khawar.

Two people were killed and two dozen others were injured and police arrested 75 people, including a former MPA’s son and three naib nazims for creating law and order situation. PPP and PML-Q workers exchanged fire at Shah Dola Pir polling station, NA-99, that injured PML-Q’s Amjad who later died at Mayo Hospital.

Three PML-N activists were allegedly beaten up by PML-Q workers in Ghakkhar.

In Toba Tek Singh, UC-25 naib nazim Asif Saeed was killed in a shootout between supporters of PML-Q candidate for PP-86 Dr Ashfaqur Rehman and independent candidate Tahir Pervaiz Anjum in Chak 383, JB-Allahyar Pind.

In Kasur, a boy was shot dead and three others were injured in Bongay Kalan. In Hafizabad, a man was shot dead while 17 others were injured in different incidents. In Gujrat, an old woman was killed and dozens of others, mainly from PPP and PML-N, were injured.

Husain Bibi was killed in a scuffle between PML-Q and PPP workers at Surkh Pur polling station.

Peshawar correspondent adds: At least six people were killed and over 23 were injured in poll-related incidents on Monday.

The voting got off to a sluggish start in almost all constituencies of the NWFP and Fata due to fear of suicide attacks and violence. However, after a few hours, voters thronged the polling stations.

Except for some areas in Swat, Bajuar, Bannu, Mansehra, Hangu and Karak polling was largely peaceful in the NWFP.

In Peshawar, over 20 people including a woman were arrested for flouting ban on arms’ display near polling stations.

One soldier and two civilians were killed and four others were injured when militants opened fire on a security patrol on the Bannu-D.I. Khan Road.

In NA-20 Mansehra, two people were killed and five others were injured in a clash between supporters of PML-Q candidate Sardar Yousuf and independent candidate Waqar-ul-Mulk.

In PF-40 Karak, one man was killed and another injured in a clash between supporters of independent candidate Nisar Gul Kakakehl and PPP’s Farid Khan Toofaan.

Four bombs exploded in different areas of Swat district. A polling station at Shakardara was blown up early in the morning.

Election materials at a polling station in Shakardara were set on fire and later the building was blown up with explosives.

In Hangu, armed men resorted to firing in the air and snatched ballot papers and boxes from the polling staff in different areas, scaring away voters. In Kotki, police found a landmine planted near a polling station.

Quetta correspondent adds: Four people including three security personnel were killed and half a dozen others were injured in bomb explosions and armed clashes in different areas of Balochistan.

“Three personnel of the Frontier Corps were killed when their pick-up hit a landmine,” official sources said, adding that the incident took place in Yaro Mat area of Dera Bugti.

In Quetta, four blasts took place in different localities. In another incident, an Uzbek man died when ‘a device’ exploded in his scrap shop.

A bomb also exploded close to a polling station in coalmine town of Mach.