HYDERABAD, May 2: People’s Party Parliamentarians leaders on Tuesday said that results of NA-219 by-elections would not be accepted because of massive rigging. Speaking at a news conference here on Tuesday, Sindh PPP president Qaim Ali Shah and Hyderabad city president Zahid Bhurgari, MPA, said that the chief election commissioner had already been informed during his recent visit to the city about the MQM’s plan to rig elections.
They alleged that he did not take any action, although apprehensions of the PPP had been submitted to him in writing.
Qaim Ali Shah said the district returning officer had also been informed about election malpractices.
He said the chief election commissioner had been requested to deploy police and polling staff from outside the district but he did nothing to ensure transparency of the by-election.
He said that he had personally visited many a polling station but the total turnout was less than 10 per cent. He said that agents of the PPP candidates were thrown out from UC-8, 9, 10 and 12 polling stations and he had complained to the DRO and RO about the harassment unleashed by the MQM.
He said that at one polling station even a sub-inspector of police, Gulzar, was mauled by the naib nazim of UC-9, Raheel alias Rajo.
He said the MQM leaders personally stamped ballot papers with the connivance of the polling staff many of whom were “Halaf Yafta” workers of the MQM.
He said that the situation could be gauged from the fact that either the DRO did not know the election laws or he feigned ignorance as he insisted that an agent had got to be a registered voter of the same UC.
Qaim Ali Shah recalled that the election agents of Prime Minister Shoukat Aziz in Tharparkar had been brought from outside for the by-election.
He also alleged that at the polling station No.4 of UC-16 of Noonari Goth more than half a dozen women supporters of the PPP were manhandled.
He said that Yar Mohammad Noonari and Mohammad Khan Noonari were attacked with axes and they had received serious head injuries.
He said that the Noonaris were whisked away by police and their whereabouts were not known.
The PPP leader feared for their lives. He said that between 50 and 60 women were injured at different polling stations.
He said the administration appeared totally helpless.
Answering a question, he said that complaints had been sent through fax to the chief election commissioner and the provincial election commissioner not only by the local chapter of the party but also by Shireen Rehman from the Bilawal House.
He said that the PPP would not accept the result of the by-election and demanded re-election in a transparent manner.
PPP candidate Ali Mohammad Sehto said that almost all polling stations had virtually been taken over by the MQM.
He said the total turnout of the voters was between five and seven per cent.
Meanwhile, Qaim Ali Shah told Dawn on telephone that so-called PPP leaders Ali Nawaz Khaskheli and Sabu Khaskheli who had joined the MQM with 100 supporters had never been associated with the party.
He said that according to his information, they were police touts and were engaged in illegal activities and joined the MQM for the sake of protection.
