By-elections 2024: Landmine blast, rocket attack mar re-polling in Kohlu’s PB-9

Rockets were fired and a landmine explosion took place in Kohlu, as the process of re-polling took place across four polling stations in the Balochistan district’s PB-9 constituency

By News Report

April 25, 2024

A photograph of the damaged vehicle as a result of a landmine blast in Kohlu. — X/@Waqtnewstv/File

KOHLU: Rockets were fired and a landmine explosion took place in Kohlu on Wednesday, as the process of re-polling took place across four polling stations in the Balochistan district’s PB-9 constituency days after the recently held by-elections.

The attacks halted the voting process at the impacted polling station in Nasao where staff could not reach due to the law & order situation and safety concerns, said the district commissioner.

According to Levies sources, the rocket was fired from an unknown direction near a polling station in district’s Nasao area, but no casualties were reported following the attacks.

Meanwhile, the landmine blast took place early Wednesday morning on Nasao Road in the Sangyali area of Barkhan ahead of the re-polling process. In the attack, a tribal leader Raba Nawaz’s car hit the landmine. He remained safe in the explosion, but his car was severely damaged.

The re-polling in the district was scheduled to take place from 8am to 4pm Wednesday.

According to the DC, a political party worker was killed in a firing incident at an election camp on Tuesday. He added the Frontier Corps and Levies’ bomb disposal team was in the area.

“Election staff and polling agents were going to the polling stations under the protection of security forces,” the DC said.

A day earlier, tensions were reported at four polling stations in Madrasah Yar Khan in Nasao, while firing also continued in and near the premises of the polling station. As a result, one person was killed.

According to Levies, heavy firing was carried out by unknown armed persons from nearby mountains just a day ahead of Wednesday’s re-polling.

The district returning officer said that firing began when the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates and workers reached the polling station. A protest was held in the district against the deployment of “biased” polling staff in the constituency. However, a PPP leader Mir Naseebullah later announced to end the sit-in on FC’s assurance.