RAWALPINDI: Around a hundred workers from the PTI and PML-N were booked by police for clashing outside a polling station set up in a divisional public school in Sadiqabad, an hour after polls closed on Sunday.

No arrests have been made in connection with the FIR, but 14 people have been nominated by the police. The suspects nominated in the case have been charged with obstructing police from discharging their official duty, attacking them and violating the ban on firing into the air.

The FIR was registered based on a complaint by Sadiqabad police Foot Constable Waqas Ahmed. He said in the FIR that more than a hundred political workers and activists from the PTI and PML-N gathered outside the polling station where he was deputed while votes were being counted inside.

One group was made up of 50 to 60 political workers led by a PTI supporter, while the other was led by a union council chairman and vice chairman who are supporters of the PML-N.

He said the charged workers began shouting slogans against their opponents, and the PTI supporter’s car was stopped, leading to a scuffle and blocking of the road.

Police reinforcements were called to control the situation, but the complainant said that when the police attempted to control the workers they obstructed and resisted them.

The FIR said that one man incited two others, who began firing into the air. When the police tried to overpower one of the shooters, his supporters retaliated and freed him.

It said two of the union council chairman’s supporters fled while firing into the air. Another man attempted to snatch a gun from Constable Umar Hayat and tore his uniform.

The suspects managed to flee, but raids are underway to arrest the people nominated in the FIR.

Investigating officer Sub-Inspector Qasir Nadeem told Dawn that the police would arrest all those nominated in the FIR and investigate suspects in connection with the case.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2018