15 August 2004	Sunday	28 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 14: People's Party Parliamentarians Senator Mian Raza Rabbani has lodged a complaint with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Irshad Hasan Khan regarding the change of certain polling stations in Tharparkar without notice to the candidate of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD).

Mr Rabbani, who has been appointed as the head of the election cell of the PPP by Benazir Bhutto, in a letter to the CEC said only those polling stations had been shifted to other places from where the PPP had secured majority votes in the last general elections.

The PPP senator said the polling stations had been shifted to sparsely populated areas at a distance of 10 to 20 kilometres from the previous location.

Mr Rabbani expressed his surprise over the creation of 16 new polling stations in the constituency. "Despite adequate polling stations, 16 new polling stations with a total 13,220 registered votes, have been created in the areas where Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz may have a slight edge giving rise to serious reservations," Mr Rabbani wrote to the CEC.

The PPP senator provided a list of the polling stations which had been shifted, they include: from Bitri to Phulji Wand, UC Jurio; from Amrio to Gogasar Juneja, UC Jurio; from Harpar to Bakhu, UC Jurio; from Tabhario to Aaho, Jurio; from Khoruro to Sujai, UC Sobhiar; from Mitho Dabro to Kharo Dabro, UC Dabro; from Rehmanabad to Amin Mohammad Dal, UC Bhitaro; from Tando Niazi to Gorwari, UC Bolari; from Singalo to Dhakan, UC Bolari; from Galhano to Jediwoo, UC Dabro; from Mehari to Doonjh, UC Manjhti; from Wangar to Allahyar Kapri, UC Mangjhti; from Gagan to Ali Mohammad Lunjo, UC Manjhti; from Bhota Lakhi to Bachal Otho, UC Morano; from Akheraj Mao to Sakirio Bajeer, UC Mithrio Bhatti; from Sooram to Allah Bachayo Kumbhar, UC Chelhar; and from Maghno Dhani to Janab Ali Shah.

Mr Rabbani also provided a list of the new polling stations with number of registered votes. He said the new polling stations created to facilitate Mr Aziz are: polling station (PS) No. 152 (registered votes 340); PS No. 15 (registered votes 347); PS No. 29 (registered votes 701); PS No. 37 (registered votes 1,219); PS No. 65 (registered votes 1,189); PS No. 209 (registered votes 1,370); PS No. 132 (registered votes 666); PS No. 134 (registered votes 970); PS No. 136 (registered votes 1,000); PS No. 160 (registered votes 910); PS No. 171 (registered votes 669); PS No. 175 (registered votes 551); PS No. 184 (registered votes 700); PS No. 193 (registered votes 591); PS No. 213 (registered votes 907) and PS No. 169 (registered votes 690).

Mr Rabbani called for taking immediate and necessary action on these "suspected efforts of pre-poll rigging by the authorities".

Talking to Dawn, Mr Rabbani said so far the PPP election cell had sent 18 letters to the CEC highlighting violation of election rules and cases of political victimisation, but the CEC had not yet responded.

He said the party had come to know through the media, and not by the EC, that the complaints had been referred to the Sindh government.

The PPP senator said how could the Sindh government redress the grievances when it was itself involved in pre-poll rigging. "We have been accusing the Sindh government of violating election rules in all our letters, so how can it redress the complaints," he regretted.

Meanwhile, in a separate complaint, another member of the election cell, Lal Bux Bhutto, reiterated his demand of providing a list of sensitive 47 polling stations in NA-229 Tharparkar as reported in the press.