Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Waheeda Shah lost her temper while at a polling station of PS-53, and beat the polling staff on Saturday.
Waheeda alleged the polling staff of rigging the election, and slapped the female staff in the face with policemen and voters among the onlookers.
The district returning officer supervising the election and the station house officer (SHO) of local police were also present inside the polling station when the incident took place.
Talking to reporters, Waheeda alleged that the polling staff allowed casting of fake votes. “This made me lose my temper and I hit the staff,” she admitted, but added that “it was only a slap”.
She also acknowledged her mistake, saying, “It was my mistake that I hit the staff.”
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Election Commissioner Sono Khan Baloch said that he had telephoned the returning officer concerned, and had sought details of the incident. He said that action would be taken on a written complaint.
Tando Muhammad Khan Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Ali Baloch said the police were looking into the matter. He said he had not seen the TV footage showing Waheeda hitting the polling staff, but added that he would take action if any one lodged a complaint against the PPP candidate.
He said that anyone who interfered with the official business could face imprisonment for a year.