HYDERABAD, Feb 18: At least eight persons received bullet injuries in separate election related incidents of violence in parts of the city. However, no loss of life was reported from any quarter.

Polling had to be suspended at several polling stations on charges of irregularities and anomalies by polling agents of MQM and PPP - which had major stakes in the district.

Enthusiasm was witnessed among voters for general elections on three NA and six PA seats where polling began smoothly in the morning and continued till 5 pm without break amidst bickering and altercations between supporters of PPP and MQM with short intervals.

Some polling stations at Zubaida Girls College, Government Boys High School Risala road, American Quarters, Government Primary School Hashmi, Amani Shah colony areas remained disturbed.

Aerial firing incidents were reported from these areas in the closing polling hours. The injured who included Umair son of Rafiq, a PPP supporter, Zulfikar son of Abdul Haq, Aslam son of Anwar, Abid son of Sharif, Arif son of Shams, Shahbaz son of Saleem, Rafiq son of Abdul Haye and Zahid son of Pir Bux received fire arms injuries and were taken to civil hospital. Two persons including Mohammad Faisal, an MQM sympathiser and Abid received stone injuries.

However, countless number of complaints were again received about missing voters, whose names didn’t tally with electoral lists available with election camps of PPP and MQM.

Complaints were also received about abrupt changes of polling stations in Labour colony and Site area. Tension prevailed in Amani Shah colony when Abdul Jabbar Khan led a convoy of vehicles there on complaints about casting of bogus votes.

Movement of unconcerned people was noted in strongholds of MQM and PPP strongholds.

At a female booth in PS-69 in Government Poly Technique Institute, 290 votes were cast out of 1540 votes by 12.43 pm. 200 votes were polled at PS-184 (male) at Sindh Law College by 1 pm out of 1326 vote while out of 2082 votes, 465 votes were polled by same time at PS-186 (male) of the same building.At government Zubaida girls college, polling was also suspended due to charges and counter charges by MQM and rival candidates.”

PPP’s Ali Mohammad Sahto and Abdul Jabbar Khan that their polling agents were not allowed to perform polling duty in Latifabad.

American Quarter remained the most troubled area throughout the day where at least three separate incidents of clashes of aerial firing were reported and the contesting parties blamed each other.

A clash took place at the polling station in which Mohammad Faisal, an MQM supporter and Saeed Sahto, the brother of Ali Mohammad Sahto received injuries. MQM supporters resorted to aerial firing at three spots of Lohar Para, Iqra School, Government Wazir Ali Model English Medium school in American Quarters, causing harassment and panic.

Angry PPP supporters smashed a car, carrying number plate of GS-4902 in Qasimabad outside government primary school, Hadi Nagar on the ground that policemen had arrived there along with some unconcerned persons to cast bogus votes.

Later, brisk polling was witnessed as people started reaching at polling stations. Huge rush of women voters was witnessed in Mirza Qaleech Baig School, Phulelli, Government Zubaida Girls college, etc. 545 votes were polled out of 1781 votes at PS-241 (female) of Mirza Qaleech Baig school while 498 votes were polled out of 1527 by 4pm at PS-247 (female) in the same building for NA-220 city. At another polling station (no 212-male) NA 212 in government primary school Tando Tayyab, 654 votes were polled out of 1800 votes by 3.45 pm. In Sero Ghat area, rangers baton charged a crowd gathered outside a polling station where poling was also suspended. Rangers officials publicly snubbed the SHO City police station Amir Jafri, who objected to the way of handling of situation by rangers.

Except for incidents of aerial firing, elections were held in a peaceful manner in Matiari district. Reports said that due to tension between PML-F and PPP workers, polling remained suspended for two hours in village Memon Wasi and police had to resort to aerial firing to control the situation. However, at the intervention of DPO, DCO and law enforcement agencies, the polling was resumed.

Reports reaching here from Tando Allahyar and Tando Muhammad Khan said that elections were held in a peaceful manner.