LB polls: PTI lawmakers arrested for ‘causing ruckus’ in Karachi

• At least three PTI leaders land behind bars.
• All were arrested in different cases.
• Two MPAs among apprehended.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have been accused of rioting, violence and snatching of ballot papers during the second phase of the local body (LB) elections in Karachi, officials and party leaders confirmed on Sunday.

Three leaders of the former ruling party have also been arrested by the police throughout the day, while a case has been registered against PTI Member of the Provincial Assembly of Sindh (MPA) Adeel Ahmed.

Korangi DC staff, late Sunday night, registered a case against the PTI lawmaker over allegations of snatching ballot papers from the polling booth staff. Ahmed was arrested and taken to Shah Faisal Colony police station after the arrest.

Moreover, a PTI nominee for vice chairman UC 13, Amjad Afridi, was also taken into custody from Baldia Town for possession of weapons.

Along with the firearms, stolen ballot papers were also recovered from Amjad, police claimed. The police also accused Amjad of torturing the presiding officer (PO) at a polling station and snatching the ballot book from him.

In defence of the arrested nominees, PTI MPA Syed Afridi asserted that PTI leaders were being arrested unduly. “Amjad Afridi had been trying to show police evidence of rigging,” he insisted.

The long overdue second phase of the LB elections took place on Sunday, despite being boycotted by Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and amidst great uncertainty. The security situation remained mostly peaceful throughout the, and the polling process continued without hindrances at several stations.

However, earlier today, Gulshan-e-Maymar police arrested PTI MPA Rabistan Khan over a fight outside a polling booth.

The PPP UC chairman nominee for UC 12, Hilal Saeed, was allegedly tortured and had to be sent to the hospital after a fight broke out between two political parties — PPP and PTI.

After the fight broke out, political workers of both parties reached the polling station in large numbers and the situation escalated. The police brought the situation under control and detained Rabistan after the incident.