Pakistan: Sindh local body polls marred by violence, 20 injured

Islamabad [Pakistan], June 26 (ANI): Clashes outside polling stations in several districts in Pakistan's Sindh province have been reported in which atleast 20 people were injured, according to local media on Sunday.

Voting for the first phase of local government elections in 14 districts of Sindh was held today, Dawn newspaper reported.

Dawn newspaper reported that there were reports of sporadic violence, with broadcasters airing footage of two groups attacking each other with sticks in Kandhkot. 20 people were reportedly injured in the clashes, and five people were believed to be seriously injured.

Polling, which has begun after 8 am and will continue till 5 pm without any break.

The 14 districts of four divisions -- Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad and Mirpurkhas -- include Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umarkot and Tharparkar.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan urged the citizens to vote for his party and eliminate "Zardari mafia". He hit out at the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the country's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

"LBEs (Local Body Elections) are to be held in 4 divs of Sindh. Despite PPP terrorising our candidatesnot following SC orders to devolve authority to local reps under Art 140A, we are taking part in the elections. I ask people of Sindh to vote for PTI candidateseliminate the Zardari Mafia," Imran Khan had tweeted.

The total number of registered voters is 1,149,2680. The election commission printed 2,950,000 ballot papers for the first phase of the Sindh LG polls.

Meanwhile, Pakistan political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that his party had gathered all political parties to a platform against the previous government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

While addressing a seminar, Fazlur Rehman said, "It was necessary for the political parties to gather their force on a single platform after the 2018 general elections. The PTI government had created the economic crisis in the country under a plan."He alleged that Imran Khan had initiated a false narrative of a threat letter and his assassination plot which was even rejected by the United States. (ANI)