February 22, 2008	Friday	Safar 14, 1429

SUKKUR, Feb 21: The DPO of Ghotki was transferred and three SHOs were suspended on Thursday following rigging allegations levelled against them by a candidate for PS-7 Daharki seat, and acts of violence in the area.

Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi of People’s Party had been declared winner with former provincial minister Nadir Akmal Leghari of the PML as the runner-up on PS-7 Daharki seat.

Ali Nawaz Pitafi has lodged an FIR at the Mirpur Mathelo police station against 22 supporters of the PML alleging that they had snatched eight ballot boxes from Gullan Khan Korai polling station in Daharki.

The ballot boxes were recovered by DPO Ghotki Aftab Halepoto from Daharki police station where Daharki SHO Shamsul Haq Dhamra and head constable Zahoor Leghari were stamping the ballot papers.

On the information of recovery of eight ballot boxes hundreds of PPP activists led by Ahmed Ali Pitafi laid siege to the Daharki police station on late Wednesday night. They feared that the boxes containing bogus votes might be included in the recounting. The DPO Ghotki Aftab Halepoto reached there and assured the protestors that the recovered ballot boxes were government property and would not be included in the recounting.

On Thursday morning Ghotki returning officer Siddiq Mubeen rejected the application of Nadir Akmal Leghari of PML about recounting and announced the official result on PS-7 in which Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi declared as successful.

Earlier, Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi had lodged an FIR at Dad Leghari police station against five people Nadir Akmal Leghari, Fateh Ali Leghari and his son Mohammad Ali Leghari, Imdad Leghari and another for killing his nephew in firing.

The incident happened on Monday when Sardar Ahmed Ali Pitafi along with his son and nephew Shoaib Pitafi was visiting a polling station in a car when some men opened fire at them injuring his nephew who was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on the same night.

Following the incidents of rigging and violence in different parts of Ghotki, the DPO Ghotki Aftab Halepoto has been transferred and ordered to report to the RPO Sukkur and Tanveer Ahmed Tahir from Karachi has been posted as DPO Ghotki, and three SHOs including, SHO Daharki Shamsul Haq Dhamra, SHO Yaroo Lund Loung Shar and SHO Ghotki Haneef Mangrio have been suspended immediately.

Sukkur Police DIG Ali Akbar Bhangwar has started inquiry into the matter. According to sources Mr Leghari had fled to Punjab.