World | Pakistan
Scattered violence mars by-elections
Rival political activists clashed in Pakistan yesterday as by-elections were held for national and provincial assembly seats and several people were hurt, police said.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:07 June 27, 2008
Islamabad: Rival political activists clashed in Pakistan yesterday as by-elections were held for national and provincial assembly seats and several people were hurt, police said.
Voting in one National Assembly seat, where former prime minister Nawaz Sharif planned to stand, was postponed pending a Supreme Court decision on his eligibility.
Violence erupted in at least three constituencies, media reported, with the worst of it in Punjab province where gunmen exchanged fire.
But the Election Commission said the trouble was dealt with swiftly.
"It was very minor," said commission secretary Kanwar Dilshad.
"Police immediately rushed there and the culprits were arrested, four or five people. After that the election was very smooth and there were no more incidents," he said.
The polls for five National Assembly and 23 provincial assembly seats closed at 5pm (1100 GMT). Provisional results were due out later last evening, Dilshad said.
The by-election results will not effect the outcome of a February 18 general election in which slain former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's party won 123 seats in the 342-seat National Assembly and Sharif's party came second with 91. The main party that backs President Pervez Musharraf came a poor third with 54 seats, undermining the standing of the unpopular former army chief and important US ally.
Differences
Bhutto's widower and political successor, Asif Ali Zardari, has formed a coalition with Sharif but their alliance has been strained by differences over the fate of judges Musharraf dismissed last year and over how to handle the president.
Sharif, the prime minister then army chief Musharraf ousted in a 1999 coup, wants to see Musharraf impeached and put on trial for treason.
Zardari has been less confrontational, hoping Musharraf will step down before too long without the risk of turmoil.
Sharif had been expected to win a seat in parliament from a Lahore constituency until a court in the eastern city ruled on Monday he was ineligible to stand, mainly on the basis of an old criminal conviction that Sharif says was politically motivated.
The government lodged an appeal in the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the ruing and the Supreme Court postponed the vote in Sharif's constituency.
The Supreme Court is due to hold its next hearing into the case on Monday.
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