KARACHI: Musharraf campaigning for PML-Q, alleges PPP
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, July 31: The Pakistan People’s Party has expressed its concern that General Musharraf has been campaigning for the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) in the local body elections.
The PPP pointed out that Gen Musharraf while addressing a meeting in Saidu Sharif had directed the audience to vote for candidates backed by the PML and to gear up their activities. The meeting was also attended by PML secretary general Mushahid Hussain, Federal Minister Amanullah Jadoon, NWFP Governor Commander Khalilur Rahman, and PML provincial president Amir Muqa.
The head of PPP’s local body election monitoring committee and former senator, Taj Haider, said that the public meeting exposed the regime’s facade of neutrality and transparency in the local body elections being held on non-party basis.
He alleged that the offices of various union councils in Karachi had been taken over by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s sector in charges while their workers had also set up offices in public parks that were built with public money.
Taj Haider regretted that the election commission had not taken any notice of the opposition parties’ complaints in this regard nor had it taken any cognizance of the use of billboards by the MQM to take credit for the work which someone else had done, thus misleading people to vote for the party.
He said that the proposer of Asif Khan, an Awam Dost candidate for the post of nazim of UC-11 in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Town, Abdul Hameed was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint from PPP office in Rajput Colony, Gulshan Iqbal’s Block-3.
He further said that the Awam Dost candidate for the post of nazim of UC-4, Chanesar Goth, Jamshed Town, Saeed Ghani and the candidate for naib nazim Aurangzeb Taj were implicated in a false case of dacoity. He pointed out that Saeed Ghani had in fact moved the election commissions against shifting of polling stations from government schools to private schools situated in narrow lanes and between the offices of sector in charges of the MQM. An FIR was lodged against them in Mehmoodabad police station.
In Khairpur, he claimed that false FIR had been registered against Qadirdad Mashori (Awam Dost cover candidate for nazim) and his five sons including Altaf Mashori (Awam Dost candidate for nazim) in Union Council Sagyoon.
He said that Hazoor Bukhsh Ujjan and Mohammad Punjal Ujjan, the proposer and the seconder of Awam Dost candidate for nazim and naib nazim of union council, Hadal Shah, were allegedly kidnapped to enable the election authorities to reject the nomination papers on the grounds of absence of the proposer and the seconder at the time of scrutiny.
He alleged that Khadim Sehto and Nasim Gul, Awam Dost candidates for nazim and councillor of UC Deparja, were detained by police for two hours and threatened with dire consequences if they did not change their loyalties. They were chased again by the police last night and threatened to withdraw from the contest, he added.
The PPP leader said that Ghulam Sarwar Tunio, Awam Dost candidate for naib nazim UC Sami, had been missing for the last two days. He expressed apprehension that he might not appear before the election authorities for the scrutiny of his papers. Sikandar Ali Bhanban, the proposer of Awam Dost candidate for nazim UC Mandan, was also kidnapped and his nomination papers were likely to be rejected due to his absence.
Taj Haider alleged that a false case had been registered in Ranipur police station against Awam Dost candidates for nazim and naib nazim in UC Hingorja.
