KARACHI, Aug 21: The polling for local government elections on August 18 was nothing but a drama staged to rig the elections to get desired results, said politicians at a protest rally at Banaras Chowk against rigging on Sunday.

People have rejected the drama, they said, warning that poll rigging allegations could turn into a movement against the government.

The speakers including MMA leaders Hafiz Muhammad Toque, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, Muhammad Laeeq Khan, Sifat Siddiqui and Ishaq Khan, demanded immediate resignation of the acting Chief Election Commissioner, Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar, and called for fresh elections.

They said the rigged elections were a black spot on democracy and an attempt to bring a bad name to the country, and weaken its security. “If this trend of rigging is carried on by rulers, no one can stop people from coming on the street,” they said.

MMA MNAs Abdul Sattar Afghani, Muhammad Hussain Mehanti and Laeeq Ahmad Khan in a statement said that even after three days of polling in the first phase of the election, books of ballot papers with and without stamps were being recovered from various schools.

They said due to partiality and defective performance of the election commission, the police had played the role of MQM’s activists.

Rejecting the results, they said it was a conspiracy to enforce anti-social elements on the city, saying the consequence would be dangerous.

“The farce elections would add to the disappointment of the people and whatever faith people had in the election process will fade away. This will prove disastrous for democracy and democratic institutions.”

They said the rigging process was still on as efforts were being made to change the results under the supervision of ministers and ruling party MPAs for unseating Al-Khidmat candidates, who were earlier declared winners.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of the Jamaat-i-Islami has in its initial report pointed out that despite demands by opposition parties, the role of the Army and Rangers remained restricted to flag march and patrolling outside polling stations only.

At places where bogus voting and rigging was brought to their knowledge, they (Rangers) regretfully said that they were not authorised to control the situation inside polling stations.

According to a press release, the commission’s reports indicated that most of the polling staff were not government officials.

There were no polling agents in 20 per cent polling stations, while there was only one polling agent each representing the government party in 35 per cent polling stations.

In Liaquatabad, Orangi, Malir and Saddar towns, people had ballot papers in their hands while children were seen casting votes in some polling stations in Liaquatabad, Orangi, Malir, Korangi and Landhi towns and Gulbahar.

The voting per cent age was no more than 15. Polling in Keamari Town could not start until 12 noon, as ballots papers were without election symbols of nazim and naib nazim.

Indelible ink was not used in 40 per cent polling stations of Malir, Liaquatabad and North Karachi towns, and in polling stations of Orangi and Korangi towns and the Federal B Area, voters complained that ink was marked on their thumbs without handing them ballot papers, saying the polling staff said they themselves would stamp the ballot papers.

Federal and provincial ministers despite a ban were found visiting polling stations.