HYDERABAD, Aug 18: The first phase of the local body elections held in nine districts of lower and upper Sindh on Thursday was marred by many incidents of violance, especially in Kashmore.

M.H. Khan from Tando Allahyar reports: Ballots were snatched by unidentified people and the Awam Dost Panel blamed Haq Parast Group for the incident. Fist fighting was also reported at some polling stations while polling was stopped at 2:30pm at poling station of the city. The presiding officer of a polling station in union council-1 was made hostage by some intruders. Policemen remained silent spectators.

The turnout was low in the morning but it improved during the course of the day. Personnel of the army and Rangers were found patrolling peripheral areas and main roads or setting up their pickets. They were not deployed at any polling station.

Confusion prevailed among polling staff and agents in the wake of eleventh hour changes of polling stations in some union councils, delaying the beginning of polling. In rural areas, the polling remained by and large peaceful as no candidate or polling agent complained of rigging.

M. Iqbal Khwaja reports from Thatta: Scattered incidents of violence and attacks and counter attacks by rival groups were reported in the district.

The turnout was 40 to 45 per cent.

Some youths pelted stones at a car of PML MNA Ayaz Shah Shirazi.

Some people also resorted to indiscriminate aerial firing at different polling station.

At the Qasim Marhai polling station in Kotri Allah Rakhio, polling remain suspended for half an hour when an ADP candidate for the naib nazim’s seat, Allah Wasayo Kamboh, and his agents Maula Bux and Abdul Latif were attacked allegedly by the Shirazi group activists with batons.

At the Dalidal polling station in Jhoke Sharif, ADP candidate Dr Hafeez Jatoi received axe injuries when allegedly attacked by his rival candidate Abdullah Shah of the Shirazi group.

Over a dozen workers of the ADP were injured, two of them critically, when some activists of the Shirazi group resorted to firing at the time of counting of votes at the Ali Bahar polling station in Sonda.

Niaz Mohammad Khan reports from Sanghar: Polling was held in 40 union councils of the district.

At many polling stations, the voting process was delayed due to non-availability of ballot papers or other reason. Some people also complained that their names were not included in the voters’ list.

ADP candidate Khadim Rind boycotted the elections in the Kurkali union council, Sinjhoro taluka. In Jafar Khan Leghari, the polling was halted when some people were beaten up. A case was registered at the Sinjhoro police station and nine persons were arrested.

PPP leader Abdul Salam Thahim at a press conference alleged that the election was not held in a fare and free manner.

He said polling stations were changed and shifted to villages which were strongholds of the Faqir Dost Panel.

He alleged that supporters of rival candidates also resorted to aerial firing to harass ADP voters.

Former union council nazim Faisal Wassan of the ADP said Zulfiqar Zardari and 40 to 50 supporters were arrested and kept at the Shahdadpur police station. Mr Wassan said ADP polling agents were forcibly taken out of the polling station. He said and the presiding officer went to the police station to lodge an FIR but it was not registered.

Shamim Shamsi reports from Kashmore: Violence erupted during the polling in the district during which 24 people, including two polling officers and one assistant polling officer, were injured, five polling agents were kidnapped and ballot boxes were taken away by armed people from many polling stations.

An armed clash took place between the Bijarani group and the Khushhal Pakistan Panel at the Sheralabad polling station in Haibat in 11 people were injured.

Some armed people kidnapped three polling agents of the ADP, Manik Khoso, Abdul Nabi Khoso and Mir Mohammad Khoso, from Lashkaran Khan, Nawab Jafri and Abdul Rehman Bijarani polling stations in Gul Wali.

A the Ghouspur polling station in Qaiser Miani, two polling agents, Haleem and Ghulam Mustafa Ogahi, were kidnapped and six persons, including assistant presiding officer Abdul Latif, were injured in firing by some people. The armed persons snatched ballot papers after injuring the officer and fled.

Assistant presiding officers Dr Nasrullah and Abdul Rauf Khoso of the Lashkaran Bijarani polling station were also injured in an attack by some with hatchets. The attackers fled with ballot boxes. The district returning officer suspended the polling at the station.

Five other people were also injured at different polling stations.

In Tangwani, an armed clash took place between Khoso and Bachkani tribes at the Mohammad Hayat Khoso polling station. Armed people also tortured the presiding officer and other polling staff and snatched ballot papers.

In the Gul Wali union council, a clash between Khoso and Bachkani tribes took place during which assistant presiding officers Javed Ahmad and Nasrullah Noonari were injured.

Another armed clash took place between two groups of the Khoso tribe at the Subha Sadiq Khoso polling station in the Shaheliani union council in which four people were injured.

Law-enforcement agencies’ personnel rushed to the spot and detained Noorullah Khoso, his brother, Amanullah Khoso, and another person belonging to the ADP.

Clashes also took places in the Haibat union council of Kandhkot, Tangwani and the Kandhkot union council in which 29 people were injured. Two people were also injured in the Rasool Bux union council of Kashmore.

Prem Shivani reports from Mithi: The polling was held in 21 union councils of the Tharparkar district where no major untoward incident was reported.

A number of polling agents belonging to different groups were satisfied with the arrangements. However, Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani of the PPP and some others alleged that the polls were not held in transparent manner.

Abdul Aziz reports from Naushahro Feroze: Low turnout in was witnessed in 50 union councils of the.

Clashes between supporters of the ADP and the Watan Dost Panel took place at the Koreja Bhan polling station in which two people were injured.

A Jeay Sindh Mahaz candidate for general councillor of the New Jatoi union council, Ahmad Khan Chandio, boycotted the polling, alleging that bogus votes were being cast.

Counting was suspended at a polling station at the Government Primary School, Tharushah, when a supporter of a Khushhal Pakistan candidate entered the polling station room and threw ballot papers duly stamped when the counting was going on.

Supporters of the ADP and the Syed group reportedly took away some ballot papers.

Ghanshamdas reports from Jacobabad: Eleven people, including a candidate were injured, in clashes at different polling stations.