Violence and accusation of rigging on Saturday resulted in the cancellation of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections in LA-37 Valley II constituency falling in Lahore. The AJK election commissioner called off the polling in LA-37 following clashes between PPP and PML-N workers at polling stations set up at the Chishtian High School and Home Economics College.
Misri Shah police registered a case against PPP candidate Diwan Mohiyudin on charges of snatching ballot papers in the polling station set up at Chishtian High School. However, DIG Operations Ghulam Mehmood Dogar said the situation was under control and no serious incident had occurred during the polling. Meanwhile, the PPP staged a protest demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club alleging that the PML-N had manipulated the polls.
Later, both parties and the Muslim Conference also held press conferences and slapped accusations on one another. Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa advised Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take prompt notice of the poor law and order during the voting. A witness told Pakistan Today that polling started per schedule and moved on with routine pace and procedure. Gradually, activists of the PML-N and PPP began gathering at all 12 polling stations set up across the city. “The situation turned fiery after both political parties’ workers got involved in sloganeering against each others’ leaders,” he added.
Another onlooker said instead of taking appropriate action, police enjoyed the contest of hilarious sloganeering between the PPP and PML-N workers. At some polling stations, the workers hurled shoes, even chairs at one another, reports said. A police official seeking anonymity said the PML-N workers resorted to aerial firing at one polling station to harass the rival party. PPP workers caught five PML-N workers while casting bogus votes, but action could not be initiated against them due to standing orders by senior officials, he said.
LA-37 voting cancelled after PML-N-PPP clashes
