Minor scuffles between PML-N, PTI workers during by-polls

LAHORE : At least 12,000 police officials and 12 SPs performed duty in four constitutions of by-elections in the provincial metropolis on Sunday.

Intelligence agencies had categorised 193 of the 881 polling stations in Lahore as the most sensitive ones.

The PTI and PML-N workers had exchange of harsh words with each other, slogans and abuses at Lalak Jan Chowk. They criticised each other’s leaders and chanted party slogans. Similarly, minor scuffles between the workers of both parties were reported at Nadirabad. Some PTI and PML-N workers also received injuries during brawls. However, no major incident of violence was reported in any part of the city.

The duty officers were directed to ensure security. They were asked to check those entering the polling stations with metal detectors and walkthrough gates.

The voters and the polling agents were allowed to take mobile phones inside the polling stations.

All field officers remained on the move. Police Response Unit and Dolphin Squad patrolled the sensitive areas to act in case of emergency.

There was zero tolerance over display of arms, use of loudspeakers and firing into the air. SPs observed the polling process at all the polling stations by monitoring the cameras live at Punjab Safe Cities Authority Headquarters.

The DIG Operations visited Shadbagh, Queen Marry College, DHA and Lalak Jan Chowk. The capital city police officer visited Khawaja Rafique College, Walton Road, Qurban Dgree College, Walton Road, Lalak Jan Chowk, Ibn-e-Sina College at Y Block and Central School for Girls at Defence.

The SSP VVIP Security visited Decent Public School, Millat Road, Factory Area and Al-Fazal and Cantt View schools to security the arrangements at the polling stations set up there.

protest: The workers of PML-N from NA-124 constituency staged a protest demonstration at Co-op Store Chowk on Sunday against the Misri Shah SHO for allegedly subjecting an innocent citizen to severe torture.

The protesters blocked the main road, burnt tyres and chanted slogans against Misri Shah SHO Ali Raza. The protesters demanded immediate legal action against the SHO for torturing the citizen.

Low turnout: Overall a relatively low turnout was observed at most of the polling stations during bye-polls on Sunday as compared to the recent general elections at two NA and two PA seats in the provincial metropolis.

The situation, however, improved in later half of the day with traditional election hustle and bustle growing outside many polling stations particularly in constituencies which fall in densely populated areas such as NA-124 and NA-131.

This seat was vacated by Prime Minister Imran Khan who won from here in general elections on 25th July, 2018.

Tough security arrangements were made at and around the polling stations by the police and army personnel. Analysts said the low turnout should favour the PML-N candidate since the party holds sway among the voters of middle income groups whose population is in majority, against the affluent classes whose number is short.

The voting remained smooth except for a few polling stations where minor complaints of sloganeering by rival workers against the leaderships was witnessed, which was promptly responded by police and the situation was controlled. The incident was witnessed at the DHA senior school for boys polling station at Lalik Jan Chowk during the afternoon, where the PML-N and the PTI workers began raising slogans against each other’s leadership. The situation seemed to be moving towards a clash but additional police force was called in to control the workers. The police put fence between the rival polling camps and the police personnel lined up along the fence, making a literal wall between the rival workers. The situation remained under control after that.