Violence in Sukkur, Jacobabad

Published October 11, 2002

SUKKUR, Oct 10: Some incidents of violence and lawlessness, including firing, theft of ballot papers and denial of access to polling staff at some polling stations, were reported from Sukkur and Jacobabad on Thursday.

The polling was suspended in Nusrat Colony No 4, Sukkur, after a clash between the workers of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The Muttahida’s candidate from NA-198, Sakhi Abdul Razzak, accused the PPP workers of harassing his party workers.

He also alleged bogus voting in favour of the PML-F candidate, Abdul Qadir Ghumro.

The PPP candidate from PS-3, Jam Saifullah Dharejo, accused the PML (F) candidate, Haji Khan Chachar, of denying access to the PPP polling staff at six polling stations, including Gudpur, Sadhoja, Phulani, Shahpur, Gablo and Bhugio.

He said that the so-called ‘Chachar Force’ was used in these incidents.

Interestingly, the mother and one of the sister of Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro were seen working for a PPP candidate in Jacobabad.

Meanwhile, the MMA candidate from PS-17, Mir Abid Sundrani, accused the Sindh Democratic Alliance workers of kidnapping 12 of his party workers from a polling station in Balach Dahani village in Kandhkot.

However, the police expressed their inability to confirm the occurrence of such an incident.

In the meantime, polling remained suspended for two hours after 12 persons were injured in a clash between the workers of the MMA and the SDA.

According to initial reports, workers of both the parties resorted to pelting stones and firing.

In another incident, Aftab Ahmed Khoso, the nephew of the MMA candidate from PS-16, Wazir Ahmed Khoso, was kidnapped by six armed persons in Bahoo Khoso.

According to police reports, he was taken towards Balochistan.

The polling in this area also remained suspended for two hours.

In another incident, armed persons hijacked the Pajero of the MMA candidate, Mir Abid Sundrani, near Kandhkot. Four MMA workers were reportedly riding in that vehicle.

Meanwhile, the DPO Sukkur, Din Mohammad Baloch, denied that polling was suspended for any reason.

He also denied occurrence of any such incident.

A polling officer, Altaf Jalbani, reported theft of some 810 ballot papers from the polling station in Baberloi near Sukkur.

The police report stated the following serial numbers of the ballot papers were stolen: 146500 to 147300 and 1463 to 1473. He accused unidentified women for having stolen these ballot papers.

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