KARACHI, Aug 17: The Pakistan People’s Party, Sindh, will participate in Thursday’s local body elections ‘under protest’ despite pre-poll rigging “so as to expose official manipulations.”

President of the PPP Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah stated this at a news conference here on Wednesday. Other PPP leaders, including Nafees Siddiqui, ex-senator Taj Haider, MNA Ms Sherry Rehman, Waqar Mehdi, Rashid Rabbani, Rafiq Engineer and Iftekhar Hussain were also present.

Mr Shah described the law and order situation as ‘precarious’ and expressed concern at the security of people and candidates. He said that the high court order suspending elections in Ghotki had vindicated PPP’s contention viz-a-viz pre-poll rigging.

He said that despite PPP’s opposition, the government had decided to deploy untrained uniformed volunteers alongside the police and paramilitary Rangers at different polling stations with full powers. This, he said, was a glaring example of the Election Commission’s failure in preventing rigging and act independently.

He claimed that this was a ploy to induct activists of a particular coalition partner with the aim of preventing people from exercising their right to vote so that the desired result could be ensured.

Secretary General of Sindh PPP, Nafees Siddiqui said that if the sanctity of ballot was not ensured and the people were stopped from exercising their right, this would cast very bad impact and the government would be responsible for that.

He expressed astonishment over the EC’s ‘inability’ to take cognizance of the government’s alleged rigging ploy.

Mr Shah recalled that transfers and postings had been taking place even after the announcement of election schedule. In this context, he referred to the posting of Hussain Baksh Marri in Mirpurkhas where three out of the four nazims were relatives of the newly- appointed TPO.

Syed Qaim Ali Shah claimed that if people were allowed to vote freely, the PPP would get 70 per cent seats in Sindh.

Iftekhar Hussain, who was a PPP candidate for a National Assembly seat in 2002 elections, told the newsmen that “Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s ministers are offering Rs35,000 per voter in coastal area and the money is being drawn from Zakat funds.”

Taj Haider claimed that more the government was indulging in excesses, greater the hatred it was creating for itself.

Ms Sherry Rehman referred to various changes in the SLGO which had given sweeping power to the chief minister. She also slammed the regime for committing excesses on women.

Meanwhile, MPA Makhdoom Jameeluz Zaman, in a statement, has criticized General Pervez Musharraf’s remarks against his father, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, and the people of Matiari. He referred to Gen Musharraf’s offer to Makhdoom Amin, who had declined the same and refused to ditch Ms Benazir Bhutto and the PPP. Makhdoom Jameel appealed to the people of Matiari to vote without fear to foil the regime’s ‘conspiracies’ against democratic forces.