LAHORE: Polling for four seats of national and provincial assemblies of Punjab and Balochistan is underway, which will continue without any break till 5 pm, Geo News reported Wednesday.

The constituencies include NA-123 Lahore, PP-82 Jhang, PP-284 Bahawalnagar and BP-25 Jaffarabad where the strict security measures have been adopted.

Some candidates leveled charges of riggings on their rival candidates in some places.

In Bahawalnagar area of Fort Abbas, the polling had to be discontinued as a result of dispute between the polling agents of different candidates in polling station-295.

Jamaat Islami?s hafiz Salman Butt and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) candidate Shahbaz Sharif came face to face at Lahore?s polling station-38, where the workers of both the parties raised slogans.

On this, police arrived on thespot to quench the slogans and confrontation. Police took Hamza in their cordon.

Talking to Geo News, Razia Sultana?Presiding Officer at Polling Station-126?said serial numbers are missing from the dozens of ballot papers, adding she told the same to Election Commission.

Government has announced public holiday on the occasion of by-polls in three constituencies including Bahawalnagar, Jhang and Jaffarabad.

Government and private educational institutions will remain closed in Lahore and Bahawalnagar for by-polls.

The Deputy Chairman of Senate Jaan Mohammed Jamali cast his vote in Jaffarabad

Meanwhile, Section-144 has been imposed in Jhang to maintain law and order situation during the polling.

According to Election Commission sources, 57 candidate are contesting constituency NA-123 of Lahore, vacated by PMLN-N?s Javed Hashmi. The constituency has 287,915 voters, for whom 268 polling stations have been set up. Of them, 25 have been declared as highly sensitive.

While 11 candidates including PPP and PML-N?s contenders are fighting for provincial assembly seat of PP-82 Jhang, vacated by MPA Azam Chaila, as the Supreme Court (SC) declared him ineligible on finding his degree fake. At least 126 polling stations were set up here for 153,800 voters in the constituency.

Moreover, PML-N has not nominated any candidate for PP-284 while PPP, Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid-e-Azam and Ijaz-ul-Haq?s party candidates will struggle for the provincial assembly seat.

The seat was vacated by independent candidate Rauf Khal, as the EC declared him ineligible on finding the charges of rigging against him true.

Three are at least 130 polling stations for 180,226 voters in the constituency.

The PB-25, Jafferabad in Balochistan was lying vacant after the MPA Rustom Khan Jamali was killed. At least 140,800 voters are casting their votes at 91 polling stations; of them, 34 are most sensitive and 29 sensitive.

From this constituency, the independent candidate Ataullah Bulaidi leveled rigging charges, saying that nearly 130 polling agents have been kidnapped.

LAHORE: Polling for four seats of national and provincial assemblies of Punjab and Balochistan ended, Geo News reported Wednesday.

The constituencies include NA-123 Lahore, PP-82 Jhang, PP-284 Bahawalnagar and BP-25 Jaffarabad where the strict security measures have been adopted.

Some candidates leveled charges of riggings on their rival candidates in some places.

In Bahawalnagar area of Fort Abbas, the polling had to be discontinued as a result of dispute between the polling agents of different candidates in polling station-295.

Jamaat Islami?s hafiz Salman Butt and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) candidate Shahbaz Sharif came face to face at Lahore?s polling station-38, where the workers of both the parties raised slogans.

On this, police arrived on thespot to quench the slogans and confrontation. Police took Hamza in their cordon.

Talking to Geo News, Razia Sultana?Presiding Officer at Polling Station-126?said serial numbers are missing from the dozens of ballot papers, adding she told the same to Election Commission.

Government has announced public holiday on the occasion of by-polls in three constituencies including Bahawalnagar, Jhang and Jaffarabad.

Government and private educational institutions will remain closed in Lahore and Bahawalnagar for by-polls.

The Deputy Chairman of Senate Jaan Mohammed Jamali cast his vote in Jaffarabad

Meanwhile, Section-144 has been imposed in Jhang to maintain law and order situation during the polling.

According to Election Commission sources, 57 candidate are contesting constituency NA-123 of Lahore, vacated by PMLN-N?s Javed Hashmi. The constituency has 287,915 voters, for whom 268 polling stations have been set up. Of them, 25 have been declared as highly sensitive.

While 11 candidates including PPP and PML-N?s contenders are fighting for provincial assembly seat of PP-82 Jhang, vacated by MPA Azam Chaila, as the Supreme Court (SC) declared him ineligible on finding his degree fake. At least 126 polling stations were set up here for 153,800 voters in the constituency.

Moreover, PML-N has not nominated any candidate for PP-284 while PPP, Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid-e-Azam and Ijaz-ul-Haq?s party candidates will struggle for the provincial assembly seat.

The seat was vacated by independent candidate Rauf Khal, as the EC declared him ineligible on finding the charges of rigging against him true.

Three are at least 130 polling stations for 180,226 voters in the constituency.

The PB-25, Jafferabad in Balochistan was lying vacant after the MPA Rustom Khan Jamali was killed. At least 140,800 voters are casting their votes at 91 polling stations; of them, 34 are most sensitive and 29 sensitive.

From this constituency, the independent candidate Ataullah Bulaidi leveled rigging charges, saying that nearly 130 polling agents have been kidnapped.

PESHAWAR: At least six people including two women were killed in an attack on the office of a non-governmental organization by militants in Tehsil Oogi of district Manshera on Wednesday.

According to police, unknown militants hurled hand grenades on World Vision, an international NGO on Wednesday followed by firing killing six employees including two female of the organization on the spot.

He said that six people including two female were injured in the incident.

The dead included Kahkasha, Zaryab Yousaf, Jamshed, Liaqat, Muhammad Ayaz and Naeem whereas the injured include Khoshboo, Shahida Bibi, Qazi Ahsanullah, Imtiaz, Abid Naeem and Munir.

The wounded were rushed to Oogi hospital.

According to the police eight to ten militants attacked the NGO office.

The law enforcement agencies have sealed the entire area and started search operation for in outlaws in the area.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister NWFP Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has condemned the incident and expressed sympathies over the loss of human loss.

He also announced to compensate the affected families and reiterated his resolve to continue the fight against terror till the last militant was eliminated.

ISLAMABAD: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will arrive here today. This will be President Karzai’’s first visit to Pakistan after his re-election last year.

During his stay, Karzai will meet President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

The visit will contribute towards further strengthening brotherly ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan and in deepening and broadening multifaceted cooperation, the Foreign Office statement said.

LAHORE: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) have accused PML-N government in Punjab for poll rigging and using state machinery against them for the NA-123 by-elections.

JI candidate Hafiz Salman Butt, and PTI candidate Mian Hamid Mairaj were addressing a press conference at Engineering University Lahore?s poll booth no 126.

They pointed out that the government gave Rs 0.5 million to TMOs and other government officials to buy votes for PML-N.

Hafiz was of the view that PML-N is outcome of dictatorship.

MANSEHRA: Militants stormed a building used by a US-based charity in Pakistan on Wednesday, sparking heavy clashes with police and killing at least five people, police and an aid worker said.

The gunmen attacked offices of World Vision near Oghi town, in Mansehra, a relatively peaceful district of the North West Frontier Province, where Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have carried out multiple attacks.

Police said five people were killed, including two women, but an aid worker told media on condition of anonymity that six World Vision staff died and six were seriously wounded, with staff still trapped in the besieged building.

“They opened fire and also exploded hand grenades,” senior police officer Waqar Ahmed told media by telephone.

“So far we have confirmation about the deaths of five people, including two women,” he said, giving no further details.

An aid worker confirmed that a group of militants had attacked the World Vision office early Wednesday, unleashing heavy gunfire and sparking a battle with police, who rushed to the site.

“Five staff from World Vision are dead, six are seriously injured. More information is coming. The staff are trapped in the office,” he said.

LAHORE: The polling for by-polls in four constituencies of Punjab and Balochistan provinces continues since 8am in the morning, meanwhile, the serial numbers, on many ballot papers being used at a polling station in Lahore?s NA-123 constituency, are missing from their place, Geo news reported.

According to Geo news correspondent, the presiding office, administrating the voting in that polling station, told Geo news that she had informed higher authorities about the missing serial numbers from ballot papers but no action taken.

She said we had noticed missing serial numbers on many ballot papers and had also updated higher authorities in Election Commission but no action has been taken thus far.

JAFFERABAD: Deputy Chairman of Senate Jan Muhammed Jamali said only the democratically-elected people would resolve the problems of the Balochistan, Geo News reported Wednesday.

Talking to Geo News after casting his vole in a polling station here, he hoped that today?s polling day will remain peaceful, adding all the differences end before polling.

Jamali said people start talking about rigging even before the vote is cast.

The deputy Chairman said the democratic government is holding these elections, adding elections boost and enhance the democratic process.

The people of Balochistan will be satisfied with democratic system not by any dictator, he added.

MANSEHRA: At least four people including two women were killed when some armed men attacked the office of an NGO in Mansehra, Geo News reported Wednesday.

MANSEHRA: At least five people including two women were killed when some armed men attacked the office of an NGO in Mansehra, Geo News reported Wednesday.

According to police sources, the armed men attacked with firearms and blasted the office of a US-based NGO, killing at least five people in Mansehra tehsil of Aughi.

According to media reports, the exchange of fire between police and militants is currently underway at the site of NGO Vision World, which was razed to ground in the blast.

Media quoted the admin officer of the NFO as saying that at least 6 staff including two women were killed in the attack. (Last updated at 1030)