Clashes between the workers of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Sialkot’s NA-75 constituency on Friday has led to the death of at least two, while eight others were reported as injured, it emerged.
Unidentified suspects opened fire near five polling stations, including Main Bazar, Gondka polling station and Rangeela Chowk in Daska, during the NA-75 by-elections. Voting at five polling stations has been halted.
Three critical patients have been moved to a hospital in Gujranwala. The dead have been identified as Majid and Zeeshan and belong to the PTI and the PML-N, respectively.
The incident created panic among voters, however, the situation was brought under control after the arrival of police. A clash also erupted between the two parties at Sohdra polling station in Wazirabad during PP-51 poll. The clash caused a worsening of the traffic situation in the area.
Speaking to a local news outlet on the incident, Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Hassan Asad Alvi confirmed that, along with the martyred PTI and PML-N members, a PTI polling agent was also among the injured. This has been corroborated by eyewitnesses and local media.
According to Alvi, the main suspect, Javed, who is a PML-N worker, had visited the Goindke polling station in the morning, where he had a verbal altercation with one of the deceased.
He returned to the polling station later and when the PTI workers exited the building, he opened fire on them before fleeing from the scene. The official added that police were conducting raids to apprehend him.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister of Pakistan on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Twitter alleged that the PML-N was behind the death of one of the PTI workers.
“According to reports, PML-N goon Javed Butt Bay shot dead PTI activist Majid and seriously injured Sajid. The PML-N is a party of thugs like Glue Butt and Javed Butt. These are criminals. Politics is just a cloak – every drop of blood will be counted,” he said on the popular micro-blogging site.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the shooting in Daska and ordered the inspector general of Punjab (IGP) to submit a report of the incident, and has also ordered the immediate arrest of the perpetrators, stating that no violation of the law shall be allowed.
The government will take indiscriminate action against those found guilty, he added.
In this regard, IGP Inam Ghani has directed the regional police officer (RPO) to arrest the suspects immediately and initiate legal action against them.
Similarly, the Punjab CM’s special aide, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, blamed PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah for the clash, alleging that PML-N was resorting to its “traditional thuggery” under Sanaullah’s supervision.
Lending his own insight into this allegation, PTI leader Usman Dar while speaking to a local news outlet questioned Sanaullah’s presence in the constituency, remarking that it was a clear violation of the ECP’s code of conduct.
“We will register an FIR against Rana Sanaullah. He brought armed men with him and resorted to firing,” he accused. “If these people thing NA-75 is their stronghold, what are PML-N MPAs and Maryam Safdar doing holding jalsas in the area?” he asked.
On the other side of the board, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz spoke out against the authorities and shared a video of the party’s supporters breaking doors of a polling station after they were purportedly made to wait outside for hours.
“PML-N voters in Daska lose patience, protest & break down doors of a polling station after being made to wait for hours as polling time draws to an end. Sharam kero,” she tweeted.
“This vote-stealing government will use every tactic to steal your vote. PML-N’s victory is worse than death for them. You have to stop these thieves at all costs and keep a close eye on them,” she added.
PML-N’s media cell and VP Maryam also shared videos of police baton charging party supporters, as they condemned the move.
Moreover, PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb held the ruling party responsible for the violence and asked the election commission to extend the time frame for voting in the affected polling stations.
While both Aurangzeb and the PML-N president had appealed to the ECP for an extension in the time for polling, this request was denied by the top election body.
Aurangzeb, during a press conference after the incident, said that both PTI and the PML-N workers had been martyred in the incident. “Two people are dead and four persons are severely injured,” she said, blaming the whole provincial government and the administration for being in cohorts with the culprits who had opened firing.
“Where is the chief minister of Punjab? He says an FIR [first information report] will be registered. You should be booked in the FIR,” she lashed out. “This provincial government can’t hold one by-election.”
Taking immediate notice of the incident, the provincial election commissioner directed the RPO and Punjab police chief to immediately arrest the persons responsible and bring them to book.
According to a statement issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the vacant seats on which by-polls are being held include NA-45 Kurram, NA-75 Sialkot, PP-51 Gujranwala and PK-63 Nowshera.
The seat of NA-75 Tehsil Daska, District Sialkot was vacated after the death of PML-N’s MNA Syed Iftikharud Din in August 2020. Provincial Assembly seat PP-51 Wazirabad was vacated due to the death of PML-N MPA Chaudhry Shaukat Manzoor Cheema in June 2020 due to coronavirus.
PML-N has fielded women candidates for both the seats in the by-elections. Noshin Iftikhar, daughter of late Syed Iftikharud Din, has been given a party ticket in the NA-75 constituency. Ali Asjad is the PTI coalition’s candidate for the seat. PML-N leader Noshin Iftikhar has alleged police officers of rigging in the polls.
In Daska, around 360 polling stations have been set up and the total number of voters is 44,003. The contest is between Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar of PML-N and Ali Asjad of PTI.
In Kurram, 27 candidates are contesting with the main competition expected among PTI’s Fakharuzzaman Bangash, JUI-F’s Jamil Khan and independent candidate Haji Syed Jamal.
The constituency has 134 polling stations for 180,931 voters.
The voting in by-elections in two National Assembly and two provincial assembly constituencies got underway at 08:00 am and it had been initially slated to continue till 05:00 pm without any interval.
With additional input from APP and INP
