A first information report (FIR) has been registered against 12 people over charges of misappropriation and destruction of postal ballot papers in Khipro taluka of Sindh's Sanghar district.

The nominated accused include several school teachers, court officials, government employees and Shahid Marri, a personal assistant to PPP National Assembly candidate Shazia Marri. The FIR has been registered on the complaint of a revenue official under various sections of the Elections Act 2017.

Two employees at the court of the additional sessions judge of Khipro have already been suspended over alleged misappropriation of the postal ballot papers pertaining to NA-216 Sanghar-II.

A source told our correspondent that the PA to Shazia Marri and Ghulam Murtaza Channa, the reader at the court of the additional sessions judge, had allegedly remained in contact over the phone and made a plan to destroy an unspecified number of ballot papers.

While an inquiry into the matter was underway, the returning officer concerned has claimed that he had issued 930 ballot papers, and not close to 1,200 as was alleged. He said he possessed complete record of the ballot papers he had issued so far.