SUKKUR: Six workers suffered critical injuries and several others sustained bruises when supporters of Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf attacked each other with clubs and bricks on Airport Road in Jacobabad late on Wednesday night.

The supporters of PTI’s federal minister Muahammedmian Soomro and adviser to Sindh chief minister on prisons Mir Aijaz Ahmed Jakhrani skirmished over the issue of vote recount for NA-196, said residents of the area.

They said that the six workers identified as Niyaz Ahmed Ghuniyo, Barkat Ali, Abdul Majeed, Naveed Ahmed and Muzafar Ali suffered severe injuries and were rushed to Civil Hospital, they said.

Three days ago, Jacobabad Returning Officer Ghulam Ali Kalasro completed the process of vote recount of NA-196 and reported to the Sukkur Election Tribunal that ballots boxes of 31 polling stations were still missing. He asked for the missing boxes to be provided to him so that the recount process could be finalised.

Interestingly, before the RO submitted his final report, Maleeha Malik, sister of Soomro already distributed sweets among supporters over the undeclared victory, which infuriated PPP ranks and culminated in the clash.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2022