KARACHI, Jan 15: Polling in the byelection for the National Assembly seat, NA-242, remained by and large peaceful on Wednesday. However, three youths sustained bullet injuries in an attack that took place after the polling. The main rivals in the election, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), have accused each other of being responsible for the law and order situation.

Balloting took a slow start when all but one polling stations opened at 8am. It gathered momentum gradually and by noon, crowds had thronged many of the 185 polling stations established in the constituency. At one polling station in Qasba Colony, polling could not be started before 9.30am due to the absence of some polling agents.

There were more than 220,000 eligible voters in the constituency and the turnout there was unexpectedly higher than the general elections in October last. The enthusiasm has been attributed to the bitterness between the main rival alliances particularly their single components — MQM at one side and Jamaat-i-Islami on the other — both of which led a vigorous pre-poll canvassing which turned violent at one stage — a few hours before the end of the campaigning.

Besides the support of the PML-led alliance, the MQM candidate, Abdul Qadir Khanzada, had the backing of Awami National party whereas his nearest rival, the MMA candidate, Dr Meraj-ul-Huda Siddiqui enjoyed support from the PPP and PML-N in the byelection.

In the general elections, NA-242 seat was won by Rauf Siddiqui of MQM who vacated it to retain a Sindh assembly seat he had won simultaneously. Originally, six candidates had filed nomination papers for the byelection for the seat. However, the ANP candidate, Dr Muhammad Hanif Khan, retired in favour of Mr Khanzada and the PPP candidate, Ruhjanullah Afridi, withdrawn in support of MMA candidate. Dr Qadeer Ahmad of Sunni Tehreek left the field a few days before the polling in protest against, what he claimed, violation of the Election Commission’s prescribed rules. Apart from the two main rivals, there was only one candidate, Sahabuddin (independent), who went ahead with the election process.

VIOLENCE: Three activists of Muttahida Qaumi Movement sustained bullet injuries in their legs in an attack by some unknown people Wednesday evening.

The attack took place in sector 11 1/2 of Orangi Town. Those injured were Adnan (20), Faisal (21) and Najmi Moeen (20). They were rushed first to Qatar Hospital in Orangi and shifted later to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Condition of all of them was stated to be out of danger.

The Orangi Extension police had not registered a case till our going to press.

Giving details of the incident, The TPO of Orangi Town, Fayyaz Qureshi, said that the attack took place near Data Chowk after close of the polling.

CLAIMS: The MQM MNA, Kanwar Khalid Younus, told Dawn that some suspects, wearing jackets, took round a spot near Makhdoomia School, located at Rehmat Chowk in Orangi 11 1/2, in three vehicles (PJ-9799, CJ-0073, and AJDC-1570) and drove away. He claimed that the same suspects turned up there again while the MQM candidate, Abdul Qadir Khanzada and another MQM leader, Khalid Bin Waleed, were exchanging views in presence of some other party activists. The assailants opened fire injuring three of the activists, he said and added that both the leaders escaped unhurt.

An MQM press statement said that armed activists of a religio-political party opened fire on vehicles, carrying MQM activists and supporters in different areas of Orangi Town, causing injuries to several of them, adds PPI.

In another incident, the party statement said, armed men opened fire on a bus and a Suzuki van, both carrying MQM activists and supporters, at Shah Waliullah Nagar, Unit 118, where a sub-office of Jamaat-i-Islami is located. Several occupants of the vehicles were injured in the shooting, it added.

On its part, Jamaat-i-Islami alleged that provincial ministers and advisors, besides the MPAs and MNAs belonging to the ruling party, interfered in the byelection. It accused them of harassing and pressuring voters, especially women, in order to force them vote for the MQM candidate.

A statement released on Wednesday by the JI claimed that official vehicles, state resources and polling staff were used to rig the polls.

The party further claimed supporters of its rival party surrounded polling station No. 9 (Shagufta Memorial School) and kept harassing the voters and polling staff for more than two hours.

It pointed out that a provincial minister, along with some armed activists of a political party, forced the presiding officers at polling stations No. 45, 178, 72 and 73 to extend polling time by one hour.