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| July 11, 2005 | Monday | Jumadi-us-Sani 3, 1426 |
Both PMAP and ANP claim victory in by-election
QUETTA, July 10: Both the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and the Awami National Party on Sunday claimed that their candidates had won the by-election for the Balochistan Assembly’s Qila Abdullah seat and demanded that the Election Commission should announce the result immediately.
Leaders of both the parties accused each other of commiting violence, kidnapping polling agents and staff and casting bogus votes.
However, the Election Commission has not announced the result and sources said it was awaiting complete results of all the polling stations.
Senator Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai of the PMAP claimed at a press conference that his party’s candidate Abdul Qahar Wadan had obtained 11,800 votes and his rival Malik Ghulam Sarwar Piralizai 3,642 in 41 of the 47 polling stations. He said Abdul Rehman Agha of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal had got more votes than the ANP candidate, who was claiming success in the election.
He said certain state institutions wanted to change the result of the by-election in favour of their favourite candidate as they did not want the PMAP to represent the people of the constituency, although it had won election there thrice.
Nawab Jogezai said four polling stations had been established in the Jungle Piralizai area in violation of rules despite reservations expressed by the PMAP. He alleged that a large number of bogus votes had been cast in those polling stations in the presence of officials and security forces.
He alleged that armed supporters of the ANP had snatched ballot boxes and kidnapped and attacked polling staff and agents but the security forces did not interfere.
He said his party had informed the officials concerned about such incidents but they had not taken any action.
Senator Jogezai demanded that the Election Commission should declare the PMAP candidate as the winner.
ANP Vice-President Arbab Abdul Zahir Kasi, speaking at a pres conference later, claimed that his party’s candidate Malik Piralizai had won the election by securing about 15,000 votes. He denied the allegations of the PMAP.
He his party had received the results of all the polling stations.
He said the ANP had tried its best to maintain peace during the election but armed men of the PMAP created disturbance at various polling stations and kidnapped polling staff and agents.
Replying to a question, the ANP leader said his party had got documentary proof of its success from the presiding officers and the returning officer.
He demanded announcement of the by-election result without further delay.
He said the ANP would take out a protest procession if the result was not declared by Monday morning.
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