KARACHI: PPP alleges violation of election code: Election Commission informed
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, July 19: Leader of the opposition in the Senate and deputy secretary-general of the PPP, Mian Raza Rabbani, while addressing a news conference said on Tuesday that he had sent a document to the Election Commission of Pakistan inviting its attention to the alleged pre-poll rigging, and violation of its code of conduct. Mian Raza Rabbani pointed out that nomination papers in the Local Government elections provided for a certification by the candidate that he does not belong to any political party. The position taken by the Election Commission viz-a-viz sitting federal, provincial ministers, senators, MNAs and MPAs was in violation of the same, as the members of parliament and the provincial assemblies had declared their party affiliation to the Election Commission at the time of contesting general elections/byelections.
If anyone of them contested the local bodies elections, he would either be guilty of mis-declaration that he does not belong to a political party or he would be subject to disqualification under Article 63-A of the Constitution for having resigned from his party membership. This, he said, was a clear violation of the law which was being committed in order to give favour to the members of the ruling party.
Mr Rabbani also emphasized that when a permanent vacancy existed in the office of the Chief Election Commissioner why the government was insisting on holding these elections under Acting Chief Election Commissioner.
Referring to violations of the SLGO, Mr Rabbani referred to reports that district commissioners of five districts of Karachi had finalized the list of 40 returning officers. The same was transmitted to the EC for notification.
He pointed out that elections were being conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan and it was its prerogative to make appointment of returning officers rather than acting as a mere notification issuing authority for the provincial government
The PPP leader claimed that the regime had started pre-poll rigging much before, which commenced with the bifurcation of districts both in Punjab and Sindh for securing desired results in the elections.
He said that the Prime Minister and the President were campaigning for the coalition partners in violation of the LGO. In this context, he referred to their public meetings in Thatta, Hyderabad and Murree where they announced relief package to lure people to vote for their protégé.
Mr Rabbani made it clear that his party was not opposed to any relief to the oppressed people, but it was used to misuse of government fund for running election campaign of a political party in total violation of the ground rules.
Meanwhile, leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro briefed diplomats based in the metropolis about the alleged pre-poll rigging by the government and violation of code of conduct announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Addressing a news conference after briefing the diplomats, Mr Khuhro said that he informed the diplomats about the silence of the Election Commission on public meetings being addressed by the Gen Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Sindh Governor and Chief Minister in violation of its code of conduct.
Nisar Khuhro, who was accompanied by head of the PPP election monitoring committee and former senator Taj Haider, provincial secretary and deputy secretary information Dr Fahmida Mirza and Waqar Mehdi, Muzaffar Shujra and Shah Mohammad Shah, also exhibited a booklet issued by the ECP and which contained approved election symbols for the LG candidates.
He pointed out that the ECP had declared that the symbols used by the political parties in the general elections would not be allowed in the party-less elections.
But he regretted that the Election Commission had itself violated its decision and included many of those symbols that are associated with the ruling coalition parties while the opposition liberal parties’ symbols have been excluded.
In this context, he pointed out that kite associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, axe of JSQM, scale that was once the symbol of JI, book which was the symbol of MMA, cycle which was election symbol of IJI and was presently the symbol of ruling PML(Q). ANP’s lantern was also there. But sword, arrow and lion were missing from the booklet.
Mr Khuhro also dismissed reports about groupings within the PPP and that Makhdoom Amin Fahim was wrongly quoted in a section of the press.
Taj Haider referred to the alleged formation of “kidnapping squad” by the regime and said that former Nazim of Orangi, Guddu Bihari was the latest victim of this squad as he had been “kidnapped” while in jail custody to an unknown place, despite court orders to release him.
