KARACHI, Oct 11:The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Friday rejected the outcome of the elections and alleged that massive rigging was organised to ensure the success of the Muttahida Majlis-a-Amal, to present it as a bargaining chip vis-a-vis the external players.
This was stated by deputy convener of the MQM, Aftab Shaikh. He was addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club.
He claimed that the MMA was the real king’s party and the results had exposed the “military-mullah” alliance which had been devised to enhance the regime’s bargaining position vis-a-vis the USA and the rest of the west.
Mr Shaikh alleged that these were the worst rigged elections in the history of Pakistan and said that the popular mandate was shamelessly manipulated to cause defeat to his party in some constituencies.
He said the people of Sindh had voted for the MQM, but the results were changed overnight. He said that the people were not ready to accept such results.
Mr Shaikh said that the manipulators of the ballot had done it with great care and skill and those who had been winning in the unofficial count between 5 and 10 pm were shown as losers with narrow margins in the morning.
Mr Shaikh, who was accompanied by Nasreen Jalil who has also lost, and Dr Farooq Sattar, alleged that the MQM was punished for raising its voice for the Sindh cause and for the unity of the people of this country. He claimed that the people had elected him and Nasreen Jaleel He said that thanks to the rigging the MMA had got eight national assembly seats—seven in Karachi and one in Hyderabad- -whereas it had got 12 provincial assembly seats in the province.
Aftab Shaikh also accused the government of undermining his party’s campaign by deliberately not compelling the rival Haqiqis to open up the “no go areas”.
Meanwhile MQM chief Altaf Hussain has urged the people to remain peaceful despite the “massive rigging in the elections”.
He said that the party would chalk out its future line of action shortly.
KARACHI, Oct 11:The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Friday rejected the outcome of the elections and alleged that massive rigging was organised to ensure the success of the Muttahida Majlis-a-Amal, to present it as a bargaining chip vis-a-vis the external players.
