ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday submitted an application to the Election Commission regarding security in by-elections in the NA-246 constituency.

The application requests the Chief Election Commissioner to deploy army and Rangers personnel to oversee the by-elections on April 23 at NA-246 and provide security to the polling agents. PTI's stance in the application is that their NA-246 candidate Imran Ismail must be secured from threats from the opposing party. Therefore, security must be provided by deploying army and rangers at the constituency.

The application further said that Imran Ismail's convoy was previously attacked during his visit to the constituency and that the party's workers have also received threats.

A copy of the application - DawnNews screen grab

A copy of the application - DawnNews screen grab

The application was submitted in the wake of a clash between PTI and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Friday. The situation turned violent and tense when an election camp of PTI party was uprooted by workers of MQM after an hours-long face-off between the two sides.

Know more: PTI, MQM workers clash again

“It is sheer vandalism,” said PTI leader Imran Ismail, who is also the party’s candidate for NA-246. “It’s typical, traditional politics of fear and violence. We are surprised that no one from the administration or law-enforcement agency intervened when MQM workers were pelting our workers with stones and vandalising our election camp. This is the reason which forced us to demand polling under Rangers,” he said.

The MQM’s candidate for the NA seat, Kanwar Naveed Jamil, denied the allegations and said it was not a clash between the political workers. He said his party had set up the PTI camp office when it was vandalised and after receiving information about the incident, his party immediately contacted Imran Ismail.

Earlier this week, MQM and PTI workers clashed in Azizabad when Imran Ismail visited the MQM bastion to meet workers and play a game of cricket.