RAWALPINDI, Oct 10: More than 12 people, including a polling staff member, were injured and several others arrested by the police during clashes on Thursday amid high security alert in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Despite a public holiday on the polling day, participation in the elections was sluggish.

The PPP candidate for PP-13, Ishtiaq Ahmed Mirza, who was injured in a clash at Government Girls High School Tehmasimabad Chaklala, was shifted to the Rawalpindi General Hospital.

The clash started between the supporters of Ishtiaq Mirza and Tehmina Sajjad when some political activists forcibly entered the polling station to get release the two persons, who had been detained by the polling staff while attempting to cast bogus votes.

The violent activists also tried to take away two ballot boxes from the polling station, the eye-witnesses said.

According to the eye-witnesses, the political activists who had been accusing each other for the clash, pelted stones on the polling station causing halt in the counting of votes and also damaging the building.

Some people, including a polling officer Zafeerul Haq, was among the injured. The ballot papers were scattered on a vast area after the seal of one of the ballot boxes was broken, eye- witnesses said.

However, the police had to resorted to aerial firing to stop the violent mob from taking away the ballot boxes with them.

Police said efforts were under way to arrest the alleged attackers.

In another incident, Adil Iqbal Cheema, a supporter of Sheikh Rashid contesting for NA-56 Jhanda Chichi, was arrested by the Civil Line police after a 38-bore pistol was recovered from him during polling. The accused was arrested during patrolling in front of Punjab House, the police said.

Similarly, Chaudhry Qadeer Khan, another supporter of Sheikh Rasheed, was also arrested by the Civil Line police after a 30-bore pistol was recovered from him.

Three activists of Pakistan People’s party were injured critically in a clash with the activists of their rival political group at Karachi company.

The police took into custody a PML-N activists and a supporter of an independent candidate after they clashed at a polling station.

Meanwhile, an attempt to disrupt polls was foiled and three persons carrying handgrenades and other explosive materials were arrsted here on Thursady.

According to official sources, the culprits were apprehended when they were coming from the NWFP to the Punjab.

At least 30 handgrenades, four of them ready for use and 50 high explosive detonators were recovered from them.

The sources said it appeared that these explosives were intended to duisrupt the polls in the country.