KARACHI – Several people were injured in clashes between workers of PTI and PPP leaders, who were awaiting final results of recently held local government elections, outside the Kemari’s deputy commissioner office on Wednesday.
The second phase of the LG polls was held in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions on Sunday. However, the political parties, including PPP, PTI and Jamat-e-Islami (JI), hit out at the Election Commission of Pakistan for releasing the results of 236 union committees of Karachi with a delay of over 35 hours.
The PTI and JI claimed that results were delayed to manipulate them in favour of the PPP, which rules the Sindh province.
The PTI has blamed the PPP for launching attack on its workers outside the DC office as the videos posted on social media show both sides pelting stones at each other. Reports said PTI leader Ali Zaidi and a media official are among the people injured in the clashes.
Meanwhile, the Kemari DC, who is also returning officer, has accused the PTI workers of breaking into the office and harassed staff, including female polling agent. He said the political workers under the leadership of PTI stalwart Ali Zaidi forcibly entered the office and damaged computers and broke windows.
Meanwhile, Zaidi claimed he had gone to meet his candidates, who were awaiting results outside the office, when PPP “goons prepared with stones and under full protection of Sindh police attacked”.
PPP Senator Waqar Mehdi rejected the allegations and said the PTI workers resorted to hooliganism when the ECP staff were compiling the results for the LG polls.