Vote count underway in violence-hit LG polls in Sindh.

KARACHI -- The voting process ended for the first phase of the local government elections in 14 districts from four divisions of Sindh and vote count was underway on Sunday amid reports of violence and clashes in several districts.

'The first phase of local government elections remained quite appalling as reports of violence, firing, kidnapping of polling staff, attack on polling stations and disruption in election process are keep pouring in, again taking the vote to a point where its credibility could be questioned.

Some incidents of violence, clashes, and attacks on polling officials were also reported in different areas of the province. The situation became tense when a group of armed people attacked the social security polling station in Nawabshah and held the polling staff hostage,

according to the presiding officer. Later, they fled the polling station along with the election material, he added.

Regional Election Commissioner Naveed Aziz informed in writing to the concerned SSP about the incident. Meanwhile, some armed people kidnapped the poll staff from polling station Tori in UC Daddr in Kandhkot. The armed men opened fire and snatched election staff including presiding officer. They also took away ballot boxes with them.

A video footage of the incident available in which it could be seen that armed men were kidnapping the staff. The administration called in a heavy contingent of police and Rangers. But so far, the election staff could not recovered.

There was a sense of fear in the atmosphere of Tori polling station. According to reports, the polling staff was allegedly kidnapped by Bhio gang. The polling process has not started yet.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed elections in some areas including Ghotki district's Mirpur Mathelo after wrong names of candidates were printed on ballot papers.

Polling for the first phase of local government elections in Sindh started at 8am and will continue till 5pm without any break in 14 districts of the province including Sukkur, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Mirpur Khas, Umarkot, Tharparkar, Sanghar, Naushehro Feroze, Kanbar-ShahdadKot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kahmor, Ghoki and Khairpur.

But as soon as the balloting started, reports of violence also started trickling. Assailants make polling staff hostage, run away with election material. Some unknown assailants attacked three polling stations in Nawabshah and made the polling staff hostage over there.

After making the...