Punjab, Sindh LB polls 2015: Polling suspended due to violence, other issues in various constituencies

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The polling concluded on Saturday in the first phase of local bodies’ elections in Punjab and Sindh provinces, aimed at placing basic democracy at the grass root level through political parties.

The polling continued till 5:30 in the evening without any break. Now the process of counting is underway.

Polling held in following 12 Punjab districts:

Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Chakwal, Bhakkar, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Pakpattan, Okara, Lodhran, Vehari and Bahawalnagar

Polling held in following 8 Sindh districts:

Sukkur, Khairpur, Shaikarpur, Kashmore, Ghotki, Qamber, Larkana, Shahdadkot and Jaccobabad

Registered voters in Punjab

• 20,121,921 total voters
• 11,345,245 male voters
• 8,776,676 female voters

Registered voters in Sindh

• 4,617,024 total voters
• 2,524,682 male voters
• 2,092,322 female voters

Polling stations in Punjab

• 16,266 polling stations
• 3,551 declared highly sensitive where 8,300 sensitive

Polling stations in Sindh

• 4,031 polling stations
• 678 declared sensitive

Polling suspension, violent incidents:

Punjab:

4:42 pm: Clash between PML-N and PTI workers in UC 17 Okara, several injured; polling suspended while Rangers summoned

4:35 pm: 6 persons arrested from Lahore, 28 from Nankana, 6 from Kasur, 24 from Gujrat, 1 from Bhakkar, 2 from Faisalabad, 3 from Vehari, 23 from Okara and 3 from Pakpatta: Spokesman 

4:35 pm: 6 Cases registered in Lahore, 4 in Nankana, 3 in Kasur, 4 in Gujrat, 3 in Vehari, 6 in Okara, 2 in Pakpattan, 1 each in Bhakkar and Faisalabad: Spokesman 

4:05 pm: 32 FIR registered, 96 including PML-N, PTI and PPP workers arrested: Spokesman Punjab police

3:34 pm: PPP workers and supporters protesting against suspension of polling in UC-70 Lahore ahead of arrival of PM

3:32 pm: 6 injured and polling suspended in UC 44 Lodhran due to clash between PML-N and PTI workers

3:25 pm: Clash between PML-N and PTI supporters in UC-26 Vehari

3:21 pm: Polling stopped in Cher Ward no 24 and 25, Chakwal, after scuffle between PML-N and PTI workers

3:16 pm: Polling halted at polling station Colony area in Pakpattan

3:15 pm: Clash in UC 9 Kasur, independent candidate for Chairman Anwar Maqarib injured

3:11 pm: Polling suspended over alleged rigging in Ward no 10, Danga girls high school, Gujrat

3:10 pm: Polling halted since three hours at polling station Chak Mubarak, UC 35, Gujrat

3:02 pm: 5 including a child injured in clash in UC 160 Chak 41, Faisalabad

2:52 pm: Voting process stopped in UC 70 Saray Sultan, Lahore because Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will likely be coming there shortly to cast his vote

2:42 pm: 10 injured after clash broke between rival groups in UC Council 5 Kahawarr Kalan, Darya Khan

2:40 pm: Polling stopped at polling station government boys primary school, Ward no 2, Kot Radha Kishan

2:25 pm: Scuffle between rival parties in Ward no 14 Kahror Pakka in Lodhran, 5 injured

2:15 pm: Clash between PML-N and PTI workers at polling station 2, Ward no 10, Lodhran

1:55 pm: 50 held in Bahawalnagar on charges of vandalism

1:05 pm: Clashes in Word no 1, 20 and 22 of UC 107 Kasur, 15 injured

1:02 pm: PML-N workers beat PTI-workers in UC 146 Faisalabad, one injured

12:50 pm: Polling stopped in UC 24 Hajveri, Gujrat

12:45 pm: Polling stopped in UC 40 Shamsabad, Faisalabad

12:32 pm: Clash between police and PTI workers at a polling station in Dharampura, Lahore

12:26 pm: Women stopped to cast votes in UC 3 Chakwal

12:26 pm: Polling stopped in UC 83 Satiyana road Faisalabad due to clash

12:25 pm: Polling stopped in Ayub Research polling station, Faisalabad

12:25 pm: Firing at polling station near Allied Hospital Faisalabad, police summoned

12:22 pm: Clash between two groups at polling station in Ward no 2 Bahawalnagar, many injured

12:22 pm: Polling suspended in UC 231 Lahore over wronging printing of election symbols

12:20 pm: Supporters of Rana Sanaullah and Chaudhry Sher Ali began to quarrel in UC 105 Faisalabad

12:20 pm: Women stopped to cast votes at UC Dahular, Dharnal and Thoba Muharram Khan in Chakwal

12:15 pm: In Gujrat: polling begins after two hours at Ward No 1 of UC-11 near Fawara Chowk

11:58 am: Polling stopped in Lahore’s UC 115 Susmani village after clash erupted at women polling station

11:55 am: Clash between PML-N & PTI workers in UC-36 Pakpattan, PML-N’s candidate for Chairmanship arrested

11:33 am: Polling suspended in UC-86 Lahore due to improper ballet papers

11:00 am: Polling yet to start in Kasur’s UC-49 due to misprinting of ballot paper

10:40 am: PML-N factions come face to face in Faisalabad’s UC 145

10:30 am: Polling suspended in UC 231 Lahore for misprinting of ballot paper

9:25 am: Clash between PML-N & PTI workers in Faisalabad, CC2, Police rush to spot

9:20 am: Polling began late at polling station no 13 of UC 168 Faisalabad

9:00 am: Polling stopped due to absence of lady police at polling station no 8 in Bhawalnagar

Sindh:

5:07 pm: 18 people injured in firing at Ghulam Bhutto polling station in UC 12 Larkana

4:50 pm: 11 killed, over 20 injured during exchange of fire between PPP and PML-F workers in UC Draza Sharif, Ranipur; polling suspended, Rangers take control

4:10 pm: 1 killed, 2 injured in firing at polling station Raheem Bakhsh Wasan in Kot Dejee, Khairpur

4:02 pm: Clash between rival parties in UC Bakhshapur polling station Rasul Bakhsh Chachar, 6 injured

3:33 pm: 4 injured after scuffle between PPP and PML-F workers at polling station girls high school, Khairpur

3:20 pm: Polling stopped in UC Sabehar, Larkana; Rangers summoned

3:00 pm: Army called in Old Sukkur and Shamsabad

2:50 pm: 7 injured after fighting erupted between rival groups at poling station 453, UC Mehmood Abad, Shikarpur

2:48 pm: Scuffle at polling station 5 in Ghotki, police baton charge PTI workers

2:45 pm: Sukkur administration demands Army deployment

1:10 pm: 16 PML-F workers injured in firing in Kangri area of Khairpur, polling suspended

12:40 pm: Polling stopped at polling station 104 Sukkar due to fight

12:36 pm: Irshad Jilani, niece and daughter in law of Chief Minister Syed Sindh Qaim Ali Shah, caught on camera casting votes of other women in Ward no 8 Khairpur

12:11 pm: Mismanagement on rise in Khairpur, Presiding officer busy eating Samosas

12:10 pm: Rangers arrest three miscreants from district council UC Mehar Shah in Jacababad

12:00 pm: Polling stopped Union Committee 18 Qureshi Goth polling station Gull Sher Chohan

10:40 am: Clash between two groups in Sharif Bhutto area of Qambar Shahdadkot District during polling, 5 injured

10:10 am: Polling suspended in Union Committee 8 Sukkar at Government Primary School polling station

9:10 am: Clash between two groups at a police station in Loki area of Jacobabad, 3 injured

8:50 am: Clash erupts between rival groups at a polling station in Old Sukkur