KARACHI, May 4: The Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians on Tuesday accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of planning to manipulate the May 12 bye-elections to its advantage by allegedly using unfair means.
Expressing concern over the prevailing law and order situation in the province, particularly in the city, head of the PPP Parliamentarians' election cell, Barrister Kamal Azfar, alleged that the MQM had turned many areas, where elections were being held, into 'No-Go' areas by the MQM.
Speaking at a news conference at Bilawal House, he said that the PPP was the target of harassment and threats and apprehended that strong-arm tactics would be used to prevent PPP supporters from casting votes.
He claimed that PPP believed that there were at least 45 sensitive polling stations about which the provincial election commissioner had been informed. Mr Azfar criticized the provincial government for having failed to protect the life and property of the people, which he said was evident from the killing of MPA Abdullah Murad and a policeman in the mosque.
Blaming the provincial government for failing to control prices of essential items besides an imperfect strategy to bring down the cost of living, he said that the Sindh government had also failed in its efforts to ensure adequate supply of essential items, such as atta, adding its inefficiency was evident from the fact that it had so far utilised only 30 per cent of the ADP from the current year.
Barrister Azfar, who was accompanied by PPP's MNA Sherry Rahman, Rashid Rabbani, Shahdat Awan and Muzaffar Shujra, also spelt out details of the memorandum handed over to the provincial election commissioner inviting his attention to alleged reports of "massive pre-poll rigging and evidence of expected manipulation on the election day", in three NA and one PS seats in Karachi.
He said that the state's machinery was regrettably being employed to tilt the balance in favour of a certain political party which was an important ally of the Sindh Government.
In direct contravention to the existing election rules as well as a public assurance by the Sindh Chief Minister that no administrative changes would be made to facilitate any party, sweeping changes had been made all across the city areas where elections are to be contested, said Mr Azfar.
In this context, he said that 16 SHOs had been transferred under direct orders of the DIG (Operations) immediately after the announcement of the Election Schedule.
He said that in NA-243, (District Central) New Karachi, Shahnawaz Bhutto Colony, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Orangi Town had already witnessed firing and intimidation of PPP workers. Banners and posters put up by our candidates have unlawfully and repeatedly been removed.
