February 23, 2008	Saturday	Safar 15, 1429

KHANEWAL, Feb 22: Syed Fakhar Imam, the losing PPP candidate against PML-Q’s Raza Hayat Hiraj at NA-156, on Friday alleged that PML-Q workers in connivance with the district administration had managed procuring 10,000 bogus ballot papers much before the polling day and later casting them on Feb 18.

Talking to Dawn, Imam said he had informed the chief election commissioner (CEC) in writing on Jan 31 that Hiraj, who is younger brother of the Kabirwala tehsil nazim and a close kin of Khanewal district nazim, would resort to massive rigging at various polling stations.

“We had mentioned various polling stations in our application sent to the CEC for taking action,” he said adding, “The situation which he mentioned in his application arose on the polling day at polling stations 16 to 19 of Kund Sargana, 42 to 45 of Sardarpur, 47 and 48 of Chiraghmoha, 50 of Ojla, 53 and 54 of Tangra, 65 to 68 of Baqirpur, 76 and 77 of Chowki Moha, 113 and 114

in village 8-D, 126 in Sandhiawala, 242 in Okanwala, 249 to 252 of Salarvan and 61 to 64 in Faridpur.

He said he also informed verbally and in writing to the returning officer on the night between Feb 17 and

18 regarding the ongoing rigging game, but no action was taken.

“About the bogus ballot papers, I even informed the European Union observers,” Imam said adding, “Despite bringing things into the notice of all concerned, no action was taken.”

He said his rival’s workers captured a number of polling booths besides beating up the presiding officers in order to get desired results.

He said about 17 presiding officers (POs) deputed at various polling stations were surprisingly replaced just before the polling.

He said votes polled to Hiraj were shown as 25,000 while 50 were shown to be polled to him at Sardarpur polling station, which was a clear example of the massive rigging.

He urged the Election Commission to hold polling in NA-156 afresh besides taking stern action against the responsible.

It may be recalled that Hiraj bagged 71,225 votes against Imam’s 58,203.