GUJRAT: The polling in Mandi Bahauddin and Jhelum districts mainly remained smooth except for a few incidents of quarrels and skirmishes between supporters of rival candidates as turnout of voters was around 60 per cent in both rural and urban areas especially in Mandi Bahauddin.

The polling remained suspended for an hour at a polling station in Domeli, Jhelum district, where a candidate blamed the presiding officer for favoring a ruling party aspirant as supporters of rival candidates also clashed before the polling was stopped.

The polling resumed when the returning officer replaced another official with the disputed presiding officer.

Two officials of the Jhelum education department were found performing as polling agents in rural areas of the district, but they were removed from the spot and later suspended from service as well.

Some supporters of the PML-N and PTI also clashed in a ward of Jhelum, but no injury or firing incident was reported in the entire district during the polling.

In Mandi Bahauddin’s union council 16 (Wasu), a PPP-backed independent candidate, Arshad Lilla, had a clash with a police inspector for allegedly favoring the rival aspirant from the PML-N in casting bogus votes.

Supporters of Mr Lilla pulled out the police official from the polling station where a large number of supporters of rival candidates were present.

Mandi DPO Raja Basharat along with a heavy police contingent reached the spot and police resorted to baton-charge to disperse the crowd. The police subjected the candidate to severe torture and also took him into custody.

Reports said the police set the candidate free after his patch-up with the police official.

Some supporters of rival candidates also clashed in Malakwal and Mandi Bahauddin’s city wards, but no major incident of violence was reported in the district.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2015