Karachi Matters Editor
KARACHI: The recount process for the NA-231 (Malir-III) constituency in Karachi descended into violence when masked individuals set fire to a sack of ballot papers and absconded with another at the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) regional office in Saddar.
Tensions escalated as members of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) exchanged accusations following the unrest.
This incident has led to significant turmoil at the electoral body’s regional office.
In response to an election petition filed by Khalid Mehmood Ali, a candidate supported by the PTI, the ECP had ordered a recount of ballots from four polling stations — PS 65, 71, 98, and 175 — in NA-231. The Sindh High Court had directed the provincial election commissioner to conduct this examination after declaring Abdul Hakeem Baloch of the PPP the winning candidate.
In light of the violence, ECP personnel commenced the process of clearing the area of burnt materials.
The South Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) confirmed that action would be taken against those involved in the attack, stating, “We will also recover the stolen items.”
Regional Election Commissioner Imtiaz Kalhoro and Election Commission Officer Mushtaq briefed journalists about the incident, which resulted in injuries to Naib Qasid Zubair.
“We were about to initiate the recount process following the court order when the attack occurred,” Kalhoro explained, noting the unexpected nature of the assault. Mushtaq emphasized the ECP’s commitment to ensuring safety amid security concerns, stating that although police were present, they had requested Rangers support, which was not deployed for the recount.
Zubair, who sustained injuries during the chaos, recounted that he was present in the ECP office when the masked individuals invaded and launched their attack.
Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Lanjar addressed the incident, attributing the chaos to the Election Commission’s inadequacies. “The election commission failed to request adequate security from the chief secretary, even during meetings,” he remarked, calling it an internal issue within the ECP.
In response to the violence, the regional election commission has submitted a report to both the ECP and the Sindh Home Minister. Lanjar noted that this report is currently under review. “The election authority should have sought security assistance from the Rangers or the Home Department,” he said, adding that no arrests had been made thus far and that a case would be filed against unidentified individuals.
The identities of the attackers remain unclear, with Lanjar stating, “It is uncertain whether the assailants were affiliated with the PTI or PPP.”
According to police reports, unidentified armed masked individuals stormed the office at 11 a.m. during the recount process. They forcibly entered the regional election commission office, vandalizing property and stealing polling bags from the four stations. Despite a significant police presence and mobile units on-site, the assailants managed to set the polling bags ablaze outside the office.
The police report indicated that immediate action is required regarding the incident, urging that a case be filed against the unknown assailants.
