EXCEPT for a few incidents of violence, scuffles and alleged rigging, polling in 14 districts of Sindh in the second phase of the local government elections remained by and large peaceful.

In Qasimabad (Hyderabad), a Sindh United Party leader was killed and two of his companions, one of them an SUP candidate, were wounded in an armed attack blamed on their political rivals. A PPP candidate was killed in Thatta and dozens of people were injured, most of them in Dadu, in other violent incidents.

Election in some wards was postponed and the polling process in some areas was disrupted on different accounts.

In Hyderabad, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had to postpone election in six wards of Hyderabad and Tando Allahyar districts after ballot papers were found containing wrong symbols against the names of candidates.

Hyderabad District Election Commissioner Imtiaz Kalhoro confirmed that polling in four wards was postponed by the returning officers concerned in ward-4 of UC-87, UC-8 (for chairman and vice chairman category), ward-10 of Qasimabad, ward-1 of UC-36. The entire election in the UC-53 of Latifabad taluka was also postponed, he said.

The decision came when it emerged that wrong symbol was printed against an independent candidate, Rahib Dino Solangi. His supporters staged a protest demonstration at Hussainabad Chowk and also disrupted polling at all six polling stations. Rangers personnel arrived there to bring the situation under control.

Protesting women alleged that Rangers fired shots to disperse them, beat up Mr Solangi and detained him and his brother, Nizam Solangi. They claimed that Ali Murad Solangi, Ali Nawaz and a young girl, Humaira, were injured.The polling in ward-10 of Qasimabad municipal committee was postponed after it emerged that one symbol was allotted to two independent candidates, Afroze Shoro and Mohammad Hussain.

Scuffles outside women polling stations in Tando Tayyab and Govt Muslim Science College took place between supporters of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement due to which polling was briefly stopped. It was learnt that some women voters of the PPP from Silawat Para arrived at the polling station and MQM’s polling agents insisted on proper verification of their identity.

Shortly afterwards, activists of the two parties gathered outside the polling station in a tense atmosphere and a scuffle ensued. Rangers personnel rushed to the spot and dispersed them. A similar scuffle took place at the Tando Tayyab women polling station when some voters producing photocopies of their CNICs tried to cast their votes.

Tando Allahyar District Election Commission Sajjad Ahmed said election in ward-1 of UC Hingorani was postponed as wrong symbol for PPP’s Qurban Ali appeared on the ballot paper.

Sindh Rangers Director General Major General Bilal Akbar visited various cities including Hyderabad, Badin and Thatta to oversee security arrangements at and around polling stations as well as law and order in those districts where elections were held on Thursday.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2015