KARACHI, Feb 10: The Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser on information Salahuddin Haider has dismissed as absurd, the charges levelled by the PPP of rigging and of the state’s interfering in the by-election in Karachi.

Responding to allegations from the PPP leadership and its candidate Nafees Siddiqi, he said the by-election was held peacefully in Karachi for which the Sindh administration, working under the directive of an independent election commission, deserves full credit.

He claimed the incidents of violence at a couple of places were the doing of PPP. He claimed the PPP supporters fired at a polling station near Aisha Bawany College, and the incident occurred at Saifi Girls School in New Challi in Saddar Town, and a third in Shireen Jinnah Colony. He said six MQM workers were injured and two of them received bullet wounds in their legs. A UC nazim of Saddar Town was manhandled, he added.

He said a notorious underworld gangster went around firing with armed men from a private car bearing registration No: PJ 6575 and a plate inscribed with the word jadoon inscribed on its rear. Several other cars with armed men roamed freely.

Mr. Haider said the MQM had worked door to door in Defence and Clifton areas and was rewarded for its efforts by bagging clear victory from Seaview, Defence and Clifton areas.