February 26, 2008	Tuesday	Safar 18, 1429

KARACHI, Feb 25: The Pakistan People’s Party has urged the election commission to order repolling in the constituencies from where it has received complaints of massive rigging.

Addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club on Monday, former Senator Taj Haider made this demand in the presence of about 25 presiding officers and assistant presiding officers who had come from Tharparkar to give a detailed account of rigging in support of the affidavits submitted by them to the election commission.

He was also accompanied by PPP Deputy Information Secretary Waqar Mehdi and party candidates Imam Ali Samejo, Sharjeel Inam Memon and Dost Ali Rahimoon from NA-230, PS-62 and PS-63 constituencies, respectively.

Mr Haider particularly mentioned alleged poll rigging in NA-230 and PS-62 and PS-63 (tehsil Nagarparkar and Chachro in Tharparkar) and urged the election commission to seal the record of the polling stations, including used ballot paper books, which were the evidence of alleged large-scale fraud in noting down of NIC numbers and thumb impressions.

In view of the evidence, he demanded that elections in these constituencies be declared invalid and those who indulged in the fraud be arrested and proceeded against under the law.

In reply to a question, he made it clear that their demand was same for all those constituencies from where the election commission had already received such complaints.

Mr Haider pointed out that the PPP had been reporting all kinds of excesses, allegedly committed by the PML-Q in Thar District, on a daily basis. He said the PPP had provided a list of 37 sensitive polling stations to the election commission, which in response directed the returning officers to declare these polling stations sensitive. However, according to him, no action was taken on the instructions of the election commission.

Interestingly, he said, these polling stations were included in the list of those 58 polling stations in which the turnout remained between 90 and 100 per cent. A total of 78,000 votes were cast in this way in favour of the PML-Q candidate on NA-230 seat.

The PPP had submitted affidavits from 25 presiding officers and assistant presiding officers to the Election Commission of Pakistan which gave an account of all kinds of alleged tactics and rigging, including the use of state machinery, committed by the PML-Q, he said.

The PPP demanded action against the former chief minister of Sindh, Dr Arbab Rahim, Arbab Anwar (Nazim), Dilawar Nohri (Chachro Tehsil Nazim), Sajid Ali Shah (DPO Tharparkar), Deedar Nohri (Chachro Mukhtarkar) Haider Bukhsh Khaskheli (SHO Chachro) Muqeem Nohrio (Khensar SHO) and Ahmad Nohri (Nagarparkar SHO).

In these affidavits pro-PML-Q candidate’s armed supporters have been accused of taking away ballot papers and indulging in forcible and illegal restrictions on voters and stuffing the ballot boxes in favour of the ruling party’s candidate.

The presiding officers and assistant presiding officers shared their experience with journalists at the end of the press conference.