• PPP, PTI workers blame each other.
• Attack occurs despite security.
• PPP's Baloch had won election.
  

KARACHI: Masked people burned a sack filled with ballot papers and also stole another at a regional election commission's office as a vote recount was underway of the NA-231 (Malir-III) constituency.

Following the incident, workers from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) blamed each other, leading to commotion at the commission's office, situated in the Saddar area.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ordered the recount of four polling stations of the National Assembly constituency at the regional election commission office.

The ECP's direction came after an election tribunal of the Sindh High Court had directed the provincial election commissioner to examine and recount all the ballots cast at four polling stations — PS 65, 71, 98, and 175 — of NA-231.

The order came on an election petition filed by Khalid Mehmood Ali, a candidate backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), against the election results of NA-231, where the Pakistan Peoples Party’s Abdul Hakeem Baloch was declared the returned candidate.

The commission's personnel, following the violence, began removing the burnt material from the site of the incident.

The South senior superintendent of police (SSP) has said that action will be taken against the elements involved in the attack. "The stolen goods will also be recovered," he added.

Regional Election Commissioner Imtiaz Kalhoro and Election Commission Officer Mushtaq briefed journalists regarding the matter in the wake of the violence that left Naib Qasid Zubair injured.

"We were about to start the recount process on the court order," he said, speaking with journalists, adding that there was a sudden attack.

The official, Mushtaq, maintained that the ECP officials are trying to save lives owing to the lack of security following the incident.

"Such an attack took place despite police security," he said, highlighting that a letter was written for summoning Rangers, but they were not deployed for the recount.

Zubiar, who was injured in the violence, said that he was in the ECP office when suddenly the masked men entered and attacked.