Re-polling has been halted in Kohlu’s PB-9 constituency in Balochistan after one of the areas in the constituency was struck with rockets and landmine explosions on Wednesday. The voting process was disrupted due to safety concerns and the inability of staff to reach the polling stations.
According to sources, a rocket was fired from an unknown direction near a polling station in the district’s Nasao area, while a landmine blast took place on Nasao road in the Sangyali area of Barkhan. A tribal leader’s car hit the landmine, but he remained safe. A political party worker was killed in a firing incident at an election camp on Tuesday.
Tensions were reported at four polling stations in Madrasah Yar Khan in Nasao a day earlier, with firing continuing in and near the premises of the polling station, resulting in one death. The district returning officer stated that firing began when the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates and workers arrived at 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 the end of the sit-in on the assurance of the Frontier Corps (FC).
The re-polling was scheduled to take place from 8am to 4pm today, but has been postponed due to the attacks. The Frontier Corps and Levies’ bomb disposal team are currently in the area. “Election staff and polling agents were going to the polling stations under the protection of security forces,” said the district commissioner.
