LARKANA: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and the Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen on Wednesday accused the Pakistan Peoples Party of committing pre-poll rigging in local government (LG) election through returning officers (ROs) while activists of various political parties protested against an RO in Johi town for ‘accepting nomination forms of PPP candidates only’.

The JUI-F and MWM leaders said in unison the ROs were creating problems for candidates of parties other than the PPP on the directives of the ruling party.

The MWM also demanded extension in the election schedule and called for holding polls under the supervision of military or paramilitary forces.

In Larkana, executive committee of the JUI-F district chapter decided at a meeting to resist attempts to compel the party’s nominees to pull out of the race who it said were receiving threats, according to a press release.

Maulana Nasir Mehmood Soomro, district emir of the JUI-F who chaired the meeting, said the party candidates complained about many issues they were facing in their constituencies.

He claimed the JUI-F was the second largest party in Larkana which had fielded the largest number of candidates on majority of seats and said its candidates had better chances of victory because of the their clean track record.

He criticised the PPP representatives for leaving their voters in the lurch each time after winning elections and said that people of Larkana had the courage to bring about change and topple entrenched statues.

He said the opponents of the JUI-F had manoeuvred to get delimitations of their choice but it would not benefit them this time and things would a take new turn. The JUI-F would not leave the field open for the opponents under any circumstances, he said.

The meeting formed sub-divisional committees to monitor poll-related situation and make seat adjustments at local level.

In Sukkur, MWM leaders demanded at a press conference extension in LG polls schedule and called for holding election under the supervision of military or paramilitary forces.

MWM leaders Nasir Abbas Sheeraz, Maulana Mukhtiar Imami, Maulana Maqsood Domki and others said that by appointing corrupt officials as ROs, the PPP had started pre-poll rigging.

Such corrupt officials were creating problems for candidates of parties other than the PPP on the directives of the ruling party, they said.

They said that they were demanding extension in polls schedule in honour of Muharram and because it would be difficult to carry out election campaign during the month.

They said that in Sindh banned organisations were carrying on with their activities openly but no action was being taken against them under a conspiracy.

In Johi town of Dadu district, a large number of candidates, residents of several union councils and activists of various political parties observed a strike against RO Riaz Ahmed Leghari, accusing him of accepting nomination forms only of candidates associated with the PPP and rejecting the papers of other parties’ nominees.

The protesters staged a demonstration outside the press club and demanded the chief election commissioner should take notice of the RO.

Dr Banda Ali Leghari, Ali Sher and Imdad Khan who led the protest alleged that the RO had raised objections to forms of candidates associated with various political parties and independent candidates and rejected their papers.

They said the RO had accepted nomination forms of only candidates associated with PPP.

The district administration was supporting PPP candidates and running the party’s election drive, they alleged.

They demanded action against the RO and appealed to chief election commissioner to terminate him from service and register a case against him.

They warned if action was not taken against the official, they would go on a strike during the LG election.

Published in Dawn October 1st, 2015

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