HYDERABAD: Sindh Taraqqi-pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi has said that Pakistan Peoples Party is now trying to manipulate results in the constituencies where it has lost election to opposition parties in the first phase of local government elections held across four divisions of the province on June 26.

Dr Magsi said in a statement issued here on Thursday that PPP was trying to change results in favour of their candidates in the name of vote recount with the help of government officials.

He said that the massive rigging, violence and maneuvering of results had unmasked Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s true face which was in fact worse than a dictatorial regime with a useless tag of democracy. Asif Ali Zardari and champions of democracy could not digest their defeat in LG polls hence they were using more ugly tactics to change results, he said.

He said that in Nawabshah, STP’s candidate Rustam Shah had won election but later the candidate who ranked third on the list was declared winner after manoeuvring the results. It was a joke with democracy and one wondered to what depths PPP had stooped for petty gains, he said.

He said that it was happening across the province, not restricted to Nawabshah alone. PPP was using its power to the hilt to get results changed through returning officers which was highly condemnable, he said.

He said that STP would resist the move and take it to court.

He urged Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and judiciary to take notice of massive rigging in election by PPP and end unrest among voters and candidates who had been pushed out of race for LG seats.

Losing candidate hurls allegations at PPP

Former general secretary of Mirpurkhas District Bar Asso­ciation, Mumtaz Jarwar has said that his rival PPP candidate was involved in gross rigging and violence on election day and demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan immediately cancel the election in his constituency and ensure reelection under the supervision of Pak Army and Rangers.

Jarwar said at a press conference at Mirpurkhas Press Club here on Thursday that ECP had given a free hand to the provincial government to do whatever it desired to rig election.

He said that he was contesting as independent candidate for member of district council in union council No43, Mir Khuda Bux-1, Digri taluka where PPP MNA Mir Munawwar Ali Khan Talpur, MPA Mir Tarique Talpur, former chairman district council Mir Anwer Talpur, MPA Syed Zulfikar Ali Shah and MPA Hari Ram Kishori Lal used state machinery to ensure his defeat and success of his rival Ghulamullah Jarwar.

He said that despite gross rigging and use of state machinery he gained 3,333 votes while his rival was polled 3,664 votes.

He claimed that dozens of relatives of his rival, including presiding officer, assistant presiding officer, polling officer, assistant returning officer etc had been deployed at his polling station, who rigged polling process, harassed his voters and agents. Police and other agencies were informed but none took notice in this regard, he regretted.

‘MQM can no longer sit with PPP’

Former MPA of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, Dewan Chand Chawla and the party’s Sukkur zonal committee members Anwar Malik and Zahoor Ansari has said MQM-P can no longer sit with PPP in coalition government.

Talking to media persons here in Sukkur, the MQM leaders said that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had himself announced at the assembly discontinuing with his party’s agreement with MQM. Now, there was no further reason for MQM to continue accord with PPP, said the speakers.

They said that PPP had stolen their mandate through rigging. “We reject LG election,” they said in unison.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2022

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