January 16, 2003	Thursday	Ziqa'ad 12, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 15: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) President Makhdoom Amin Fahim has flayed the alleged massive rigging in the by-elections, and the killing of party workers in Sindh.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Mr Fahim said that three activists were killed and several others were kidnapped in Khairpur and other constituencies.

“The massive rigging, the collusion of the administration with the King’s Party and the spree of lawlessness let loose by the government had left the PPP with no choice, but to boycott the elections to condemned the process in the strongest possible terms,” he said.

In NA-216 (Khairpur-III), the PPP workers were killed by the rivals, brother of a PPP candidate, Piyar Ali Shah, was kidnapped and the ‘goons’ took over the control of a polling station, he said.

He said that the kidnapping of the workers and the forced occupation of polling stations were also witnessed in the constituencies of PS-10, PS-12 and PS-86 (Thatta-111).

The PPP candidate for PS-86 (Thatta-111), Arbab Wazir Memon, he said, immediately informed the chief election commissioner about the massive rigging, warning him that if immediate action was not taken he would be forced to boycott the elections.

But, Mr Fahim said, there was no response from the Election Commission.

He also claimed that the PPP was not allowed to freely run its election campaign as its workers and supporters were arrested, their bails denied and their houses raided.

Arbab Wazir complained that even he was detained by the police. He also provided a list of the polling stations, whose polling agents were kidnapped, and are still untraced.

These polling stations are: Belo, Umer Baran, Ibrahim Baran, Saeedpur, Budho Talpur, Hamid Abro, Raheem Charan, Nodo Baran, Usman Jokhio, Ranta, Abdullah Ghoto, Qadir Dino Shah, A. Sattar Shah, Allah Dino Pariani, Haji Abro, Darya Khan Soho and Jhok Sharif.

Mr Fahim warned that the party and Benazir Bhutto resided in the hearts of people, and they could not be wiped out politically. He also demanded a judicial probe into the Sindh by-elections.