2 shot dead, several injured amid violence during NA-75 by-polls in Sialkot
A wounded man is run care after clashes broke out during a by-election within the NA-75 (Sialkot-IV) constituency within the Daska tehsil, on February 19, 2021. — Geo News screengrab
Two people were killed and a number of other injured as violence broke out on Friday during the by-polls held at NA-75 (Sialkot-IV) constituency within the Daska tehsil.
The identity of the 2 people that died has not been ascertained yet.
Clashes occurred between workers of the PTI and PML-N across the constituency and at the Gondla polling place , things escalated to some extent where shots were fired. Eight people were injured of which two later succumbed to their injuries.
According to Geo News, first coronavirus came the way with polling suspended thanks to a violation of safety protocols then later violence disrupted the polling, the time that ended at 5pm. Those still inside polling stations are going to be allowed to cast their votes.
PML-N's Rana Sanaullah had petitioned for the polling time to be increased in sight of the disruption. He accused the "government's thugs" to attempting to thin out the vote with violence, claiming that PTI's polling camps were all empty and unattended.
The request was turned down by the committee .
PTI's Usman Dar, in response, accused Sanaullah of disturbing the law and order within the constituency. "Rana Sanaullah was roaming around with groups of armed men," he said, adding that a police complaint are going to be registered against him.
He claimed Sanaullah "wants to try to to in Daska what was wiped out Model Town".
Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar's aide Firdous Ashiq Awan joined in by saying what occurred was the "traditional thuggery by PML-N" under the leadership of Sanaullah. She claimed PTI workers were harassed by PML-N.
When approached by Geo News reporters, police didn't answer questions on the firing and claimed polling had gone on uninterrupted.
CM takes notice of incident
Chief Minister Buzdar, while taking notice of firing incident, has sought a report from the military officer of Police (IGP).
The chief minister has ordered the arrest of the suspects at the earliest and said that action would be initiated against those found responsible with none discrimination.
Blame game between candidates
PTI candidate Ali Asjad and PML-N contender Syeda Nausheen blamed each others' parties for instigating violence.
Asjad claimed that PML-N "could not stand losing" then resorted to violence. Nausheen, on the opposite hand, claimed that folks had witnessed armed men with PTI flags outside polling stations firing shots within the air and chanting party slogans, which also resulted in power lines breaking and falling down. "We haven't any arms," she insisted.
Meanwhile, TLP's chief polling agent Sahibzada Fazal Haq also claimed that his car was fired upon and his windows lie shattered.
Situation remains tense
Reporting from the Degree College polling place , Geo News correspondent Umar Ejaz said that even after polling time ended, the PTI and PML-N workers continued to chant slogans against each other .
He said shots were not being fired, as was the case intermittently throughout polling time.
The correspondent, who had spoken to the Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Daska Latif Sahi, said that eight people had been brought injured to the power , of which two had died. It couldn't be ascertained which party they belong to.
0 Comments