|
|
|
| July 25, 2005 | Monday | Jumadi-us-Sani 17, 1426 |
Victimization of candidates continues: PPP
KARACHI, July 24: The head of the People’s Party Parliamentarians monitoring committee for the local body elections, Mr Taj Haider, alleged on Sunday that the government was continuing its assault on Awam Dost Panel candidates.
He alleged that many candidates and their proposers and seconders had either been kidnapped or detained in their homes to prevent them from attending the scrutiny of their nomination papers.
According to the monitoring committee, in Umerkot, Mohammad Hassan Mallah, a candidate for the seat of nazim of the Dhoro Naro union council, was arrested by police at around 8pm, a day before the scrutiny of his nomination papers, and he was taken to some unknown place. Consequently, he could not appear for the scrutiny and the rival government-supported candidate was declared elected unopposed.
Mr Mallah has lodged an appeal with the Chief Election Commissioner.
The committee alleged that the ADP candidate for the seat of nazim of Chohr, Mohammad Hussain Mangrio, was attacked by armed people outside the district court when he was coming for scrutiny of his nomination papers. Mr Mangrio was thrown into a jeep and abducted by the assailants.
In view of large-scale complaints about shifting of old polling stations allegedly to Autaqs of government party office-bearers, election authorities have decided against the shifting.
The monitoring committee pointed out that the Sindh High Court had issued stay orders on an appeal by PPP office-bearers against the creation and delimitation of new constituencies in the district. It said that in contempt of the court orders, the administration had gone ahead with its plans and elections were being held in the new constituencies.
It said that an ADP candidate for the seat of nazim of Mithri, Ghulam Ali Gadani, was allegedly blindfolded by police and thrown at a deserted place. PPP office-bearers held a press conference in Ghotki about the kidnapping of Mr Gadani and other candidates.
The monitoring committee said Mr Gadani had also been by tortured by Mirpur Mathelo SHO Aijaz Memon. Police had taken away Mr Gadani’s educational certificates, identity card and Rs10,000. They had been forcing him to sign withdrawal papers and had threatened that he would be killed in a fake encounter if he did not withdraw his nomination. The matter had been reported to the election authorities and the DPO, the committee said.
Hakim Abro, kidnapped ADP candidate for the seat of naib nazim of the Bagi Dargo union council, has not been recovered as yet.
The returning officer had accepted his papers in view of his abduction but had instructed that he should be produced within two days.
Also missing are Gul Hassan Mirani, a candidate for the seat of nazim of Luk, Saheb Dino Soomro, a candidate for the nazim’s seat of Dego and Mohammad Nawaz Chachar, a candidate for the seat of nazim of Mohammad Khan Ghotto. Their nomination papers would be scrutinized on July 25.
In Tharparkar, Mohammad Essa Khan Loond, proposer for an ADP candidate for the nazim’s seat of Bahtiaro, was allegedly kidnapped from outside the court premises when he went there for scrutiny of nomination papers.
In the UC Islamkot, Dodo Bujeer, a candidate for the seat of naib nazim, was allegedly kidnapped by armed people. In the same union council, Jan Mohammad, proposer for Allah Bux, was kidnapped from outside the court premises by armed men and was prevented from appearing for the scrutiny of nomination papers.
The monitoring committee alleged that Hyderabad PSF office- bearer Nazeer Siyal was arrested this morning in a false car theft case.
In Jamshoro, 12 ADP candidates who were going to Thano Bola Khan to submit their nominations papers were allegedly arrested at the Sari police post.
The PPP committee said that in Nooriabad, police arrested candidate Mengal along with many other PPP workers.
In Karachi, Saleem Burfat, PPP ward president from Mujahid Colony, has gone missing since last evening. The committee feared that ‘terrorists’ of the government party had allegedly kidnapped him.
|
|
|
|
