HYDERABAD, Oct 2: Some local leaders of the Muttahida Majlis- i-Amal (MMA) have alleged the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of election malpractice and pre-poll rigging.

Speaking at a joint news conference at the press club here on Wednesday, the district president of the MMA, Maulana Abdul Waheed Qureshi, candidate for PS-48, Syed Mushtaq Ali, and candidate for PS-45, Abdul Rehman Rajput, said the Muttahida was also harassing activists of the MMA.

They also distributed copies of representation they had submitted to Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Irshad Hassan Khan highlighting the alleged malpractice by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The MMA leaders further alleged that in connivance with the Election Commission, the Muttahida had appointed its own staff at various polling stations.

They said during elections from 1970 to 1997, the principle adopted by the EC was to appoint grade 17 and grade 18 officers as presiding officers, grade 7 and 9 primary teachers as polling officers and grade 15 and 16 high school teachers as assistant presiding officers.

They said this principle had been reversed for the coming election and junior officers had been appointed as presiding and assistant presiding officers.

The leaders of the MMA said the Muttahida candidate for NA- 219 and retired director colleges, Prof Khalid Wahab, had visited the Government Comprehensive Boys Higher Secondary School, Latifabad, unit-10, on Sept 10 and threatened teachers with dire consequences if they did not work for his party in the election.

They said the general-secretary of the All Sindh Teachers Association, Qazi Ameenuddin, who was a primary school teacher, was appointed as a polling officer.

They said they had a videocassette which showed Ameenuddin had attended a public meeting of the Muttahida at the GCT Ground and led a procession.

The MMA leaders said the MQM was stealing electricity and the chief executive of Hesco, superintending engineer and the chief engineer concerned were aware of the power theft but were helpless to stop it.

They appealed to the CEC to take notice of these malpractice and pre-poll rigging, and appoint senior officers as presiding and assistant presiding officers to ensure fair election.

PPP CANDIDATE RETIRES: The president of the PPP Cultural Wing, Sindh, and candidate for NA-235, Sanghar, Sarfaraz Rajar, here on Wednesday announced to retire in favour of Asad Junejo of the PML (Q).