KARACHI: Police have filed two cases after one person was killed in the tumultuous NA-240 by-election.
The cases have been filed at the police stations in Landhi and Korangi.
On the presiding officer’s complaint, a case was opened at the Landhi police station under terrorism and other provisions.
According to the preliminary information report (FIR), 400-500 members of a political party entered a polling station at the same time.
According to the FIR, the polling station staff were beaten and election materials were damaged.
The case was filed at the Korangi police station on the basis of a police officer’s complaint and includes a riot clause.
According to the FIR, 20-25 men armed with sticks stood outside a school polling station.
The police raided the polling station, arrested five people, and recovered sticks from them, according to the FIR, adding that voting was immediately resumed.
According to the police, the people carrying the sticks attempted to disrupt law and order.
Violence erupted across the constituency during yesterday’s by-election, with one member of the Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) killed and several others injured, including ex-MPA Iftikhar Alam, who is also a member of the PSP.
The seat — a stronghold of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) — was filled by 25 candidates after the death of MQM-P MNA Muhammad Ali Khan earlier this year on April 19.
MQM-P was re-elected with a narrow margin of 65 votes over rival Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
Mohammad Abubakar, the MQM-P candidate, received 10,683 votes, while Shahzada Shahbaz, the TLP candidate, received 10,618 votes.
Meanwhile, Muhajir Qaumi Movement candidate Syed Rafiuddin came in third with 8,349 votes, PPP Nasir Rahim came in fourth with 5,240 votes, and PSP Shabbir Kaimkhani came in fifth with 4,782 votes.
