Polling held in Dadu, Thatta, Sujawal and Badin districts despite all odds.

HYDERABAD -- Barring a few incidents of minor clashes, verbal bouts and aerial firing, polling in the second phase of local government election in Dadu, Thatta, Sujawal and Badin districts remained peaceful on Sunday.

The polling started late in most areas of Dadu district due to various reasons. Voters also faced trouble in reaching polling stations as floodwaters, still standing in towns and villages of Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Johi talukas, kept the approach roads blocked.

The district administration had set up polling stations at dry places by mostly using damaged structures of government properties. At some places, only tents were pitched to serve as polling station.

The election staff also reached their places of duty late due to inundation on their way.

Officials could not ensure power supply and availability of drinking water to election staff and voters.

There were huge issues at polling stations like none supply of power and drinking water as well as.

There were sporadic incidents of verbal bouts between PPP and PTI supporters at some places.

PTI workers tried to stop PPP workers to enter a polling station along with MPA Pir Mujeebul Haq. A heated debate followed but it did not turned serious as the lawmaker himself asked his supporters not to accompany him.

Election staff, voters face hardship in flood-hit areas

At Ward-13 of Dadu city, a clash took place between activists of two rival parties who punched and kicked each other. Five people were injured in the brawl.

A similar clash was reported from Radhan and Tharari Mohabbat polling stations.

PA deputy speaker's nephew loses

Registering its overall victory in the second phase of local government elections, overshadowed by very low turnout, in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions, Pakistan Peoples Party faced a setback in Sujawal, where Fayyaz Leghari - a nephew of Deputy Speaker in the Sindh Assembly Rehana Laghari -- was handed a defeat by independent candidate Shah Hussain Sheikh.

Commenting on the unexpected results, though unofficial, a local leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Syed Imran Ali Shah, claimed that Shah Hussain Sheikh was backed by certain PPP leaders and activists of the district who had developed difference with the deputy speaker.

PPP leaders, encouraged by the overall results of the LG elections in Thatta and Sujawal districts, blamed the low turnout on cold weather and uncertainty about whether the polling would be held or not.

While the situation in...

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