1 killed in election-related violence in Pakistan's Karachi

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least one person was killed and several others were injured in armed clashes between political rivals during a by-election in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Thursday, a government official said.

Clashes erupted after different political parties accused each other of fraudulently stuffing ballot boxes at different polling stations in the eastern district of Karachi, the country's commercial capital and most populous city.

Sharjeel Memon, the information minister of Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital, told reporters that at least one political worker was killed and another eight were injured in clashes.

An additional police force, he said, has been deployed in the violence-hit areas to avert further clashes.

The deceased is said to be associated with former Karachi Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal’s Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) – a splinter faction of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), a major coalition partner in the central and the provincial governments.

The two political parties along with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, a religious political party accused each other of resorting to violence.

The by-election was held on a National Assembly seat that fell vacant after the death of an MQM lawmaker a few months ago.

According to initial results, the MQM candidate was in the lead amid a low turnout.