BADIN: With no fewer than 328 of its polling stations having been declared ‘very sensitive’ and another 620 ‘sensitive’, Badin district is poised to go to polls in the second phase of the local government election amid brewing political tension.

The DRO has reportedly written to the authorities concerned for adequate security suggesting that 600 army and 1,500 Rangers troops be kept standby to assist the police and ward off any possible violence during the polling process. In a situation where nearly all opposition parties have been demanding deployment of army and Rangers personnel at and around all polling stations to prevent violence and rigging, the recent warning by former home minister Dr Zulfikar Mirza of bloodshed if the ruling party resorted to any unfair means in the election has set alarm bells ringing.

Supported by more Pakistan Peoples Party rivals, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) more precisely the Arbab group and certain nationalist groups, Dr Mirza has vowed to use muscle power to counter any attempt to harass or intimidate anti-PPP candidates, voters or supporters. He told his supporters at the sit-in that the entire government machinery had been replaced with pro-PPP officials after he dissociated himself from the party.

Already a huge force of 4,000 police personal has been planned to be deployed in the district to facilitate the election process in a peaceful manner. A total of 620 presiding officers and 1,523 assistant presiding officers have been deputed for the polling.

Earlier in the day, a strong police contingent was deployed at the office of the district returning office in the wake of a seven-hour sit-in led by Dr Mirza a day earlier. He had announced at the sit-in that he along with his supporters would got to the DRO office to get some “unnecessarily relocated” polling stations restored to their original sites. However, Dr Mirza did not make it and the police force was withdrawn in the evening.

PPP slams Mirza’s outburst

Local PPP leaders MNA Sardar Kamal Khan Chang, former Senator Bibi Yasmin Shah, Haji Sain Bukhsh Jamali, Syed Sikander Ali Shah, Nadir Hussain Khwaja and others on Friday condemned Dr Mirza’s “abusive language and threatening posture” during the sit-in.

Addressing participants in various rallies and public meetings in Tando Bago town and other areas, they asked Dr Mirza to stop mudslinging targeted against co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and other leaders of the PPP.

Dr Mirza, after failing to get public response and fearing defeat in the LG poll, had now resumed hurling threats and maligning the PPP leadership, they said, adding that he was using intolerable and indecent language in his outburst.

Bibi Yasmin Shah said “the people of Badin had voted for the Mirza family against us because of they bore PPP tickets but they [voters] will no more vote for them” She also called for de-seating MNA Fehmida Mirza and Husnain Mirza for changing their loyalties as they were openly campaigning for anti-PPP candidates.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2015

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