Sardar Kohyar Domki wins Sibi by-polls amid rigging allegations

Sibi Ittehad group's Mir Asghar Marri comes second with PTI and PKMAP candidates in third and fourth places, respectively

By Mohammad Zafar Baloch
November 18, 2024
Representational image of a voter casting her vote during an election. — AFP/File
Representational image of a voter casting her vote during an election. — AFP/File

QUETTA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Sardar Kohyar Khan Domki emerged victorious in the by-elections for constituency PB-8 Sibi-cum-Lehri.

According to unofficial and preliminary results, Domki, the son of the late provincial minister Sardar Sarfraz Khan Domki, won by a significant margin. His main rival, Mir Asghar Marri of the Sibi Ittehad group, despite boycotting the elections, came in second. PTI candidate Khan Wali Khan Marghazani and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s Syed Noor Ahmed Shah Khajak secured third and fourth positions, respectively.

The by-election was necessitated after the passing away of Sardar Sarfraz Khan Domki. The Election Commission of Pakistan had scheduled the polls for November 17, with PPP nominating Sardar Kohyar Khan Domki. Strict security arrangements were made, with FC personnel deployed across urban and rural areas. These officials were given special magisterial powers to ensure order during the elections. Celebrations erupted among PPP supporters following Domki’s win. They fired into the air and distributed sweets at the campaign office.

Meanwhile, Mir Asghar Marri, who had boycotted the elections, alleged widespread irregularities. Speaking at a press conference attended by the Sibi Ittehad leaders and tribal dignitaries, he accused the provincial government and election authorities of bias, claiming they openly supported the PPP candidate. He alleged that polling agents were barred from entering polling stations in the Lehri subdivision, which he described as a “no-go area” during the election.

Marri further criticized the deployment of government employees sympathetic to the PPP and claimed that the election process was manipulated to ensure Domki’s victory.

Terming the election a “selection”, Marri stated that such practices undermine democratic values and further alienate the youth of Balochistan from parliamentary politics. He called his boycott a symbolic protest against the flawed system and a precursor to broader resistance against electoral misconduct in the region.