ISLAMABAD: Mir Baz Khetran, who contested the election on a PPP ticket from NA-259, on Wednesday accused Election Commission of Pakistan secretary Babar Yaqub of manipulating the election against him and said that even the commissioner of Sibi division had written a letter against the ECP staff.

Addressing a press conference at PPP’s media cell here, he said he gave the copies of the letter, which pointed out mismanagement by the ECP staff in NA 259, to the chief secretary of Balochistan.

Mr Khetran said that he and his polling agents were not allowed to witness the counting process and after four days he was informed that Shahzain Bugti had won the seat. “They did not give us any of forms 45, 46 or 47 but we were only handed over a hand-written detail on the ECP letterhead,” he said.

Mr Khetran added: “This is an example of organised rigging — with the connivance of FC, and I praise the role of army in maintaining law and order in my province.”

He said officials of the district administration had told him that they would have supported him if he was an independent candidate. “I have given its details to Farhatullah Babar and about delay of four days in counting to the election cell headed by Taj Haider in Karachi,” Mr Khetran said.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2018