KARACHI, Aug 18: The Deputy Chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, Senator Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, has stated that the way the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was given a free hand to takeover possession of polling stations in the city during the time of voting had turned the entire election process into a farce.

“This has not only confirmed our apprehensions but also proved that the federal and provincial governments were not in a position to hold transparent elections,” he added. Prof Ghafoor, also a central leader of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), was addressing a hurriedly-called press conference at the Idara Noor-i-Haq on Thursday half an hour before polling was closed.

The JI Karachi Amir, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, also present on the occasion, gave some details of rigging at various polling stations. Referring to the changed strategy of the MQM regarding local government elections, Prof Ghafoor said his apprehensions expressed a day before the polling had proved correct, as instead of repeating the May 12 by-elections tactics of resorting to firing, the MQM turned all polling stations as centres of lawlessness.

He said according to reports, some 60 per cent of polling stations in Karachi were taken over by MQM workers by forcing out Al-Khidmat polling agents so they could cast bogus votes.

He said the police had been serving as an instrument of the MQM while the army was patrolling outside and the Rangers were deployed outside the polling stations, and were unable to check the rigging.

Prof Ghafoor said the tall claims of holding “free, fair and transparent” polls by President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the chief election commissioner had proved meaningless.

He said that since the MQM had lost its vote bank, they had planned to win these polls by hook or by crook.

“We will not boycott the elections and resist them (MQM),” he added, and thanked people for coming out of their homes despite all odds.

Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui said that all records of rigging had been broken, adding that the authorities had failed to issue orders for deploying Rangers and army inside polling stations.

Giving details, he said the MQM activists had taken over UCs 1, 2, 6, 11 of North Karachi Town; UCs 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 Sector 33; UCs 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 of Landhi Town; UC 12 of Korangi; UCs 7, 8 of Baldia Town; UC 3, sectors 10, 5, 9 of Orangi Town; UC 7 of Saddar Town; UCs 7, 8, 9 of Jamshed Town; UCs 2, 7 of Gulberg Town; UC 1 of Liaquatabad Town; UC-10 of Nazimabad No 1; Malir UC 2; and Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s UC 10.