KARACHI, July 21: Secretary-General of the PPP Sindh, Nafees Siddiqui, on Thursday drew Chief Election Commissioner’s attention to the violation of the provisions of section 78(d)in chapter five of the SLGO, and claimed that failure to implement it in letter and spirit was tantamount to disenfranchisement of the minority community.

Mr Siddiqui said that it would adversely affect the minority communities in the upcoming local bodies elections at the union council level in Sindh, especially Tharparkar district.

The SLGO provides that wherever in a union council, the voters’ number/population of minorities was more than 10 per cent, the number of their seats in the said UC has to be reallocated and increased.

He pointed out that the election authorities of Tharparkar district were refusing to raise the number of minorities seats despite the fact that in 39 out of total 44 UCs, minorities’ vote-bank was more than 10 per cent while in 16 UCs they formed majority of registered voters. According to information gathered in 16 UCs, minority votes are more than 50 per cent whereas in 28 they constitute more than 20 per cent, according to him.

There are 44 union councils in Tharparkar district out of which 16 had more than 50 per cent of minorities’ votes whereas in 28 UCs they have a population of more than 20 per cent. In Mithi Town Committee, the minorities have more than 80 per cent votes.

He invoked chapter 8, section 87, sub-section (d) of the SLGO-2001 which read: “Union Nazim and Naib Union Nazim elected as joint candidates; (Provided that in a Union where the population of minorities is in excess of 10 per cent of the total population of the Union, reserved seats for minority communities referred to in clause (c) shall be increased by reallocating the seats specified in clauses (a) and (b) in the manner prescribed by the government).”   Mr Siddiqui stressed that in the interest of free, fair and transparent election in these UCs, the seats of minorities should be increased.

He said that ignoring this right would deprive the minorities of their due representation in the local councils and would amount to disenfranchisement of the minorities.

It may be pointed out that S. Surendar Valasai, a freelance journalist, has already filed a petition with the Election Commission in this regard.

Nafees Siddiqui also complained about a sudden change in the polling stations in many parts of Karachi, and especially referred to the UC 4 Jamshed Town where polling stations had been shifted.

“Whenever elections are held, the polling stations are set up in the Government Boys Secondary School, Channesar Goth, and the Government Boys Primary School, Channesar Goth, for Charge No. 27, having Circles 1, 2 and 3 of the electoral list.”

He wondered that for the first time, the polling station for Charge No. 27 Circle 1 was shifted to Cambridge Public School, Mehmoodabad Gate, whereas for Circle 2 and 3, it was moved to AGS Grammar School, Green Belt. The new polling stations were not only very small, but also located far away from the voters’ area, he maintained, and allegedly that this was being done in connivance with the ruling alliance.

He called for investigation into the affair by the concerned DROs and urged the EC to restore the old polling stations.