June 27, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 22, 1429

KHANEWAL, June 26: Independent candidate Karam Dad Wahla has secured 37,721 votes and defeated Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz joint candidate Makhdoom Murid Hussain Qureshi in the by-election in PP-219, Khanewal-VIII, Jahanian.

Qureshi could only secure 26,572 votes in the election marred by violence, mostly by his own men.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had vacated this seat after the general election and then fielded his brother Murid Qureshi on this seat.

At least six people were injured in crossfire between Qureshi and Wahla’s men at three polling stations during the by-election on Thursday.

Qureshi’s men opened fire at their rivals in the presence of police deployed at polling stations set up in 110/10-R, 115/10-R and 146/10-R villages and entered the polling stations. As a result, voters ran back to their homes.

Later, Khanewal District Police Officer Kamran Khan called extra force to deal with those who entered the polling stations.

As the police failed to control the law and order situation, the polling was suspended for an hour. However, the polling was resumed after the police arrested six of the law violators. “We have arrested the ruling party candidate’s four men for creating a law and order situation,” a police official told Dawn on the condition of anonymity.

In another incident, the PPP candidate’s men beat up presiding officer Mian Habib at a polling station set up in 110/10-R village.

The polling started on time and continued till 5pm. The turnout was low because of violence and hot weather. People did not turn up even after the local administration announced through mosques about the normalisation of the situation. Qureshi and the DPO were not available for comment.