KARACHI, Dec 17: The annual elections of the Karachi Bar Association were held on Saturday amid allegations of rigging, mismanagement and altercations between rival candidates.

The polling was suspended for one hour owing to alleged massive rigging by certain candidates and their supporters.

Witnesses said that a majority of the candidates and their supporters entered the five polling booths and forced voters to cast their votes in their favour. Some candidates even snatched ballot papers from voters and cast the votes at their own, they said.

Two candidates for general secretary’s post exchanged hot words after which polling was suspended around 3:15pm. The polling resumed at 4:15pm after the candidates gave an assurance about peaceful polling. Later the election commission, comprising chief election commissioner Munawwar Malik and his deputy S M Altaf, had to extend timing for one hour.

Out of 4,200 votes, 2,824 were cast in the election for 21-member KBA body, comprising six office-bearers and 15 managing committee members.

Mehmoodul Hasan, Mashood Ahmed and Mohammad Aqil were candidates for president’s slot. Abdul Wahab Ansari, Mohammad Nadim Qureshi and Shaukat Ali Cheema are vying for the post of general secretary.

Amir Niaz Khan, Arshad Khan Jadoon, Manzoor Ahmed and Tabbasum Sultana were the candidates for the post of joint secretary.

Hakim Ali Shaikh, Khurshid A. Siddiqui, Sarwat Israr and Mehmooda Qasim contested the election for treasurer.