Clashes, unrest marrs Pak polls

Electoral violence in Pakistan was reported in different parts of the country as voters stepped out in large numbers to exercise their franchise on Wednesday.

To begin with, 31 people were killed in a suicide blast outside a polling station near Eastern Bypass in Quetta in the morning.

Another explosion took place outside a polling station of NA-200 constituency in Sindh's Larkana city, which left five people wounded.

In Dadu, the police have arrested seven people in a firing incident in which three persons were injured, The Dawn reported.

Voting was disrupted in Shahpur polling station of NA-10 after clashes erupted between the supporters of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP).

In Jijal, a scuffle between two different groups of independent candidates left seven people wounded.

In Badin, six people were reportedly injured after clashes erupted between PPP and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), a coalition of regional parties in Pakistan.

In a separate incident, a scuffle between PPP and GDA workers left five people wounded in Chak No. 1 near Golarchi town of Badin district. Polling process was suspended following the clashes. The district administration sent more troops to the affected area to maintain law and order situation, according to The Dawn report.

Clashes between GDA candidate Shehzad Mehar and an independent candidate Ameer Jatoi left seven people wounded in Shikarpur.

Furthermore, 15 people were injured when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) workers reportedly clashed with each other at Bhatti Mohalla polling station in Jafarabad district of Balochistan.

The police said that the injured were shifted to a local hospital and polling process has been halted temporarily, according to Geo TV.

In Rawalpindi, PTI and PML-N workers clashed outside the Government Postgraduate College in Satellite Town area.

In Ghotki's PS-21 constituency, a scuffle between two political parties left five people wounded, reported the Geo News quoting the police.

Clashes were also reported from NA-123 seat in Lahore and NA-155 seat in Multan, as per the Geo TV report.

In Attock's Hazro Tehsil, PML-N and PTI workers were involved in an altercation. The police were called in to control the law and order situation.

A PTI worker was shot dead and two persons were injured in clashes between ANP and PTI workers in Swabi's PK-47 constituency.

Prior to the election, there were numerous suicide blasts reported at different parts of Pakistan targeting political candidates and election rallies, claiming over 150 lives.

Polling in Pakistan, which began at 8 am (local time) today, came to an end at 6 pm.