of the PML-N are contesting for the seat. The official said unofficial results could be compiled by Saturday midnight. The turnover remained around 35 to 40 per cent and the total number of registered voters in the constituency is about 110,000.
Our correspondent adds from Vehari: Polling for by-election in NA-167 constituency was held here on Saturday. The police took six Frontier Constabulary officials, including Rahim Bakhsh, Munawar Khan, Munir Khan, Muhammad Javed, Nusrat Khan, Nizam Din and Muhammad Sadiq into custody for interfering in the electoral process. The turnout remained 30 to 40 per cent, said an official. The main contestants for the seat are Asghar Ali Jatt, Syed Shahid Mehdi Naseem and Chaudhry Nazir Ahmad Arain. Minor incidents of brawl were reported in Chak No 249/EB. Police allegedly tried to manipulate voters and former MNA Nazir Ahmad Jatt slapped a policeman. The police also misbehaved with media persons in Chak No 253/EB. Three persons were reported injured in the incident in Chak No 493/EB, 175/EB, E-Block, Habib Colony and polling remained suspended after the scuffle.
Returning Officer Masood Ahmad Malik didn’t allow media persons to witness the polling process inside polling stations. According to initial results of 26 polling stations, Asghar Jatt of the PPP got 7,001 votes, Nazir Ahmad Arain of the Awami Ittehad got 6,824 and PML-N’s Syed Shahid Mehdi Naseem got 2,867 votes.
Our correspondent adds from Muzaffargarh: One Nasir Ali Ansari, 22, an activist of Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, was shot dead allegedly by one Jugnu, son of Fazal Din, in the Shah Jamal area of Muzaffargarh. The accused snatched the pistol of an ASI, Sultan Ahmed, and used it to kill his opponent. Police said Jugnu asked a voter, Nasir, whether he will cast his vote in favour of Jamshed Dasti of the PPP or Nawabzada Iftikhar. When Nasir said he was a staunch supporter of the Nawabzada, the accused snatched the pistol of the ASI and shot him dead.
Later, the relatives and activists of the PDP blocked the road and staged a sit-in. Muzaffargarh DPO Manzoor Sarwar reached the spot and assured the protesters that the culprit would be held very soon. The protesters were demanding the arrest of PPP candidate Jamshed Dasti.
In another incident, three persons sustained injuries when the PPP supporters allegedly opened fire in the Mehrpur area.
A clash took place in Kot Ratta (PP-259) between two rival groups in which three persons received injuries. DCO Muhammad Aslam Wazir called out the rangers to control the situation. The DCO said: “Polling was delayed for one to two hours at different places due to scuffle between the rival groups on petty issues.”
These seats were vacated after lawmakers elected from these seats resigned for having fake educational degrees.
Our correspondent adds from Lahore: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah said on Saturday the deployment of the FC in by-election was unconstitutional. The FC men have been deployed on the orders of the interior minister and a case would be registered against him. He asked the interior minister to take notice of the situation instead of further aggravating it. He said the prime minister should call back the FC personnel and take strict action against them.
APP adds: According to another report, a number of voters could not exercise their right to vote due to errors, mistakes, misprinting of their names, father’s name, and CNIC numbers and other particulars during the by-election on Saturday.