LARKANA: The Larkana Awami Ittehad (LAI) — comprising a number of former Pakistan Peoples Party leaders and those of other political parties and groups — has alleged that the PPP was influencing, harassing and kidnapping its local government candidates.

Speaking at a press conference at Waleed House here on Sunday, LAI patron in-chief Mumtaz Ali Bhutto and convener Haji Munawwar Ali Abbasi, along with some other colleagues, criticised PPP lawmakers from Larkana district for indulging in such unlawful activities and “pre-poll rigging”.

Quoting a few examples, they said that Gaji Dero and Wada Mahar union council candidates Liaquat Kalhoro and Abdul Ghani Channa were forced to withdraw their nomination papers by the PPP lawmakers.

Although the Election Comm­ission of Pakistan was committed to holding free and fair LG election, no effort in this direction was visible till date as the returning officers were seen offering their personal services and hospitality to PPP leaders, they claimed. “We cannot expect fair and free election considering the RO’s attitude,” they added.

The LAI leaders insisted that a free and fair election was possible only if it was held under the supervision of the army and Rangers.

The LAI would write to the Supreme Court chief justice and chief election commissioner and also inform the media about the illegal activities of PPP lawmakers and other leaders, they said.

The LAI leaders said that in violation of the code of conduct for the election, the Sindh government had released an amount of Rs3 billion for development works in Larkana district. They said the PPP had already been routed in three provinces while its bad governance in Sindh had created a variety of issues in addition to the already unresolved ones.

They alleged that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari recently paid a visit to Naudero only to plan rigging in the LG election.

They also hailed the Sindh High Court ruling on recent delimitation and termed it a positive step towards blocking rigging.

They announced that the LAI would hold public meetings from Oct 5 to 15 across Larkana district.

Earlier, Mumtaz Bhutto chaired a meeting to take stock of the situation. Haji Munawwar Ali Abbasi, Qurban Abbasi, Dr Roshan Pechuho, Irshad Junejo, Mujtaba Shah Rashdi, Fida Hussain Gopang, Syed Deedar Shah, Badar Abbasi, Tariq Nazeer Shaikh, Asghar Shaikh and others attended the meeting.

ROs accepting forms of favoutites, claims Mahar

SHIKARPUR: The election authorities in the district are under pressure to accept nomination forms of the ruling party’s favourite candidates without following election rules which is a glaring example of pre-poll rigging, says PML-F MPA Shaharyar Khan Mahar.

Mr Mahar said at a press conference at the press club on Saturday evening that returning officers (ROs) concerned were appeasing the ruling party by accepting nomination forms of their favourites in violation of election rules.

Citing examples, he said that a candidate in Chatto Mangi union council was a registered government contractor who produced a fake certificate issued by the works and services department that denied he was a contractor.

His nomination form was accepted on its basis though a government contractor could not contest election as per rules, he said.

Similarly, he said, nomination papers of a candidate in Gaheja UC was accepted by the RO concerned despite the fact he was proposed and seconded by government employees, who were not allowed to do so as per election rules.

Besides, the candidate was also nominated in a murder case, he said.

The PML-F leader also complained that delimitation of UCs and constituencies had been made in a way that it benefited the favourites and created difficulties for the voters of opposition candidates. Some of the polling stations had been deliberately set up in troubled areas where tribal disputes going on, he said.

He demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Sindh government should take notice of violation of election rules by the ROs who were to implement election rules.

He urged the ECP to set up polling stations as per delimitation of 1977 which were acceptable to all in order to ensure LG election in a free, fair and transparent manner.

He repeated his demand for conducting LG polls under supervision of Rangers so that voters could cast their votes in peaceful atmosphere.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2015

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