KARACHI: EC turning deaf ear to violations, alleges PPP
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 2: Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro on Tuesday criticised the election commission (EC) for not acting on the complaints of kidnappings and victimisation of political opponents of the government, and violation of its own code of conduct for the upcoming local bodies’ elections.
“The election commission needs to tell people why it has no answer to the question that Gen Musharraf had addressed a rally in Swat and asked people to vote for PML-Q candidates though its much talked about code of conduct doesn’t exonerate anyone from committing violations and go scot-free,” said Mr Khuhro in a statement shared by MNAs Sherry Rehman and Dr Fahmida Mirza.
They inquired from the EC as to what action it had taken on complaints against the Sindh government including the DPO Badin, who had been served a show-cause notice.
They pointed out that not a single transfer and posting had been reversed in Sindh, done in violation of the EC’s directives.
Similarly, they pointed out that the kidnappings and arrests of Awam Dost candidates had been reported to the EC but not a single kidnapper or police official, allegedly involved, was punished yet.
They alleged that hundreds of government vehicles with government number plates removed were being used by Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and his supporters in Tharparker, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas and elsewhere.
“Will some EC official dare to check these vehicles and reported violations,” he asked.
They also asked as to what action the EC had taken against Federal Minister Liaquat Jatoi for taking an official helicopter to Jamshoro district in the name of flood relief, despite the fact that there was no flood in the rugged mountain terrains.
Meanwhile, the Secretary General of the PPP – Sindh, Nafees Siddiqui, in a letter to the EC, reminded it of the party’s complaint regarding the shifting of three polling stations of Chanesar Goth.
He regretted that despite immediate orders, the ruling alliance of the Sindh government was trying to harass and threaten area people by calling them to the police station and by using other provocative means.
He alleged that the police and government administration officials were threatening people of the said union council, and those of UCs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Jamshed Town that if they did not vote for government alliance candidates, cases would be registered against them.
He, therefore, requested that EC to take cognizance of the Sindh government and Karachi administration and give directions to the chief minister and the local administration of Karachi to be neutral, impartial and not to interfere in the local bodies’ elections.
He also demanded the EC to issue directions to immediately stop the harassment of citizens otherwise it could create a serious law and order situation.
Meanwhile, head of the Election Monitoring Cell and Information Secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party, Mr Taj Haider said that action only against police officials provided complete cover and amnesty to the real perpetrators of electoral crimes.
He said the EC should more importantly proceed against those who had transformed the administration into a well organized setup for crushing dissent and people’s will through illegal creation of new districts, delimitation of constituencies, manipulating electoral roles, unbridled use of state machinery to bribe, coerce, kidnap, arrest and torture those following the voice of their conscience, and fabricating false cases.
