Elections were held for five seats in the National Assembly. (Representative)
Islamabad:
Voting for 21 national and provincial seats ended amid temporary suspension of cellular services in “specific districts” of Punjab and Balochistan provinces, which authorities say were measures to “safeguard” the electoral process, Dawn reported on Sunday.
Elections were held for five seats in the National Assembly, twelve seats in the Punjab Assembly, two seats in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and two seats in the Balochistan Assembly, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
According to the Pakistan-based news website, the by-elections were held under the aegis of violence and disruption of network services at polling stations.
In Sheikhupura’s PP-139, the voting process was temporarily halted following a “firing incident”.
In a statement, the Punjab Election Commissioner’s office said that due to a “firing incident” at a polling station (Nizampura Government Primary School), the election process was disrupted.
However, it was later resumed after police brought the situation under control, the statement added.
In Lahore, at polling station number 171 (Lahore College), workers from the Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf (PTI) coalition and the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) fought with those from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on the issue of creating voting fields. The argument was then ended with the help of police intervention.
Reports of arguments from several political leaders also emerged.
Shoaib Siddiqui of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) said there were reports of a clash at the 184 Union Council, Dawn reported.
Separately, SIC’s Mian Shahzad Farooq alleged that his party workers were being arrested in NA-119 and that the election agent had been forced out of the district officer’s office after going there to lodge a complaint.
In Lahore, 24 superintendents, 45 senior non-commissioned police officers (SDPOs), 168 inspectors, station house officers (SHOs) and investigation officers will carry out their duties during the by-elections, Dawn reported.
A total of 195 pickets were established at entry and exit points of Lahore as security was on “high alert”.
Earlier on Saturday, the Home Ministry allowed the suspension of mobile internet services to “maintain law and order” in 13 districts and tehsils in Punjab, Dawn reported.
It should be noted that mobile and Internet services were also closed during the general elections on 8 February. However, access to the social media platform
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