The violence erupted in Khairpur district, 449 kilometres(seven miles) northwest of the port city of Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, with the two groups exchanging fire.
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With the traditional election symbol of “arrow”, PPP candidates are facing rivals belonging to the PML-Functional, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Jamaat-i-Islami, Sindh United Party (SUP) and an alliance of several parties called the Larkana Awami Ittehad.
“The administration is supporting the ruling party’s candidates”.
Observers are closely watching the polls in Punjab, which is Pakistan’s richest and most populous province and the power base of the current prime minister, who gained power in a landslide election in 2013. As many as 16,266 polling stations have been set up, of which 3,551 have been declared highly sensitive and 8,300 sensitive.
Police, Rangers and Army personnel have been deployed at sensitive polling stations where they will remain until the end of polling. He said that candidates and media should play their role for transparent polls.
According to early morning reports, heavy turnout is being reported from Lahore and Faisalabad where thousands of voters reached polling stations early morning to cast their votes. The timings were, however, extended at certain places.
Experts say the local elections in Punjab could be a major political test for both Sharif and Khan.
Chief Secretary Sindh suspended SP Umerkot for “violating the code of conduct for LG elections”. Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan group is fighting against Ch. Sher Ali whose son is federal state minster.
Voters lined up outside polling stations as voting for the first phase of the much-delayed local body polls in 20 districts of Sindh and Punjab went underway on Saturday.
Over 20 million people are registered to vote in Punjab, in addition to another 4.6 million in Sindh.
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It may be mentioned that 707 candidates were elected unopposed in the first phase of local government elections.
