Presiding officer of PS-93 arrested over electoral malpractice

KARACHI: Police has arrested a presiding officer of Karachi’s PS-93 constituency on Monday under charges of a fraud attempt. 

According to Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Samee Ullah Soomro, a presiding officer who is identified as Waheedullah, was assigned a polling station of PS-93 as a presiding officer. However, Waheedullah sent a substitute in his place who exposed before the Returning Officer.

The police on orders of the RO arrested Waheedullah, while his substitute Zubair, escaped from the scene, as per police officials.

Arrested presiding officer Waheedullah has been assistant director of solid waste management board at DMC West and said to be affiliated with a political party.

In another similar incident today, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) suspended a returning officer from Okara after an investigation over a complaint proved that the officer was ‘partial’ towards a political party.

According to reports, the action was taken against the RO on a complaint to the Okara District Returning Officer, who agreed that the RO concerned was not impartial.

Meanwhile, six polling officers were arrested a day ago after they were found to have allegedly tampered with postal ballot papers in PS-80 Sehwan and NA-233 (Kotri-Sehwan) constituencies.

Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Fazlur Rehman took notice of the matter and sought a report from Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Shazia Abbasi and SSP Bashir Brohi.

The ECP has also suspended four officers of the Punjab government, including a DSP, for misusing their official position by participating in a political campaign.

Police officers as well as presiding officers, who will perform election duties, took oath on Sunday to maintain their neutrality during the election process.