NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, Aug 19: Former provincial minister and PML leader Syed Murad Ali Shah and PPP MNA Syed Zafar Ali Shah have accused the Jatoi group of rigging the local body elections.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Tharushah on Friday, Syed Murad Ali Shah showed newsmen about 250 ballot papers stamped with the seal of assistant presiding officer

and cast in favour of KPP candidate Ali Almani of UC Tharushah at the government primary school Tharushah polling station.

Syed Murad Shah and ADP candidate Abdul Rauf Khanzada and candidate of the Syed Ittehad, Syed Abdul Wahab Shah alleged that during the counting of votes at the government primary school polling station, Tharushah, two agents of KPP candidate Ali Almani, mixed about 1500 ballot papers that he carried with him the ballot papers taken out from boxes for counting.

They said that Syed group’s agent Abdul Wahab took out some of the ballot papers which he secured.

Syed Murad Ali Shah alleged that presiding officer Peeral Pirzada helped the Jatois/ KPP candidates and issued 10 books of ballot papers with seals on the back and signed by him on Tuesday night for using the same in favour of their candidate Ali Almani.

Murad Ali Shah said that on receiving information, he went to the district returning officer, Naushahro Feroze, who referred him to the returning officer but neither the DRO nor the RO reached there.

PPP MNA Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Syed Murad Ali Shah and ADP candidate for nazim Abdul Rauf Khanzada and Syed group’s candidate Abdul Wahab Shah demanded re-election in the UC Tharushah.

Zafar Shah demanded action against chief minister’s adviser Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi who violated the rules and directives of the election commission.

Murad Ali Shah disclosed that he could not cast his vote in Thursday’s election as he was informed at polling station that his name was not enrolled in the voter list.

Syed Zafar Shah alleged that KPP candidate Ali Almani’s vote was registered in voter list of UC Dabhro at serial number 56 but his name was written with pen in voter list of Murad Village at serial number 56.

He said election authorities had issued photocopies of lists to candidates which were different from the lists provided to polling staff and claimed that voters could not vote due to these problems.

Later, Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi also held a press conference at his residence in New Jatoi and thanked the people of the district for voting in their favour.

He said the opponents were crying for nothing and were levelling false allegations.

He said out of 51 UC seats of nazims, the Jatoi group (Khushhal Pakistan Panel) won 35 seats and one independent hence they do not need support of any group for forming district government.

He announced that Aqib Khan Jatoi will be the candidate for district nazim while names for taluka nazims will be announced later.

Meanwhile, business centres and shops remained closed for five hours in Tharushah, Darbelo and Bhirya Town on Friday in support of the Syed group and the PPP.