Chaos during NA-240 bypoll: CEC wants notice served on Kamal for vandalising polling station

ISLAMABAD: Taking a strong exception to violent incidents during the bypoll in NA-240, Karachi, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on Friday ordered the ECP officials to issue a notice to Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) chief Mustafa Kamal for his alleged involvement in vandalising a polling station.

In addition, the CEC also talked to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on phone and apprised him that it was the provincial government’s responsibility to establish peaceful environment for the voters. The Sindh CM assured the chief election commissioner of taking action against those responsible for the violent incidents.

The CEC also discussed the situation with the IGP Sindh on phone who told the CEC around 250 persons involved in these incidents are being taken to task.

Presiding over a meeting a day after a tumultuous polling day in Karachi, the chief election commissioner ordered the provincial election commissioner to take immediate legal action against all the characters involved in the violent incidents and send a report to the Election Commission.

The secretary Election Commission briefed the participants on the incidents of ballot papers’ snatching at various polling stations, including polling stations 51 and 165, damaging ballot boxes, violence against polling staff, brandishing of weapons and the tense situation during the byelection in NA-240, Karachi, on Thursday.

The report of the provincial election commissioner, Sindh, was also reviewed at the meeting and the provincial election commissioner briefed the commission on all untoward incidents. Meanwhile, the Election Commission extended the tenure of display centres from June 19 to June 30, 2022. These display centres have been set up for tentative electoral rolls for public inspection. The Election Commission started revising the electoral rolls from last year, which will be effective in the next general elections and for this purpose, 20,159 display centres have been established across the country. People can receive their vote details by sending SMS on 8300 or visit the nearest display centre for correctness of vote/ deletion or data.