BADIN: Thousands of GDA workers and candidates, along with their colleagues who were defeated in the elections, demonstrated outside the DRO office the other day, led by former NA speaker & GDA leader Dr Fehmida Mirza and others in protest against what they said irregularities, rigging and manipulation of the poll results.

Rejecting the alleged rigged elections in Badin district, Dr Fehmida accused the ROs of facilitating the election staff for blatant rigging in Badin district to benefit the PPP.

Addressing the ECP, she said: “You have failed to conduct fair and transparent elections; you are responsible for the unrest in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtukhwan and Balochistan.”

Former home minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza said ROs and other election staff had cheated their conscience.

Defeated candidates Hasnain Mirza and Ameer Azad Panwher said they would not end the movement against the thieves who had stolen the mandate of the people. Mir Abdullah Talpur and other GDA leaders also spoke.

NAWABSHAH: A large number of GDA workers and supporters held protest demonstrations in different parts of Sanghar district on Sunday

They blocked the Sanghar, Nawabshah and Mirpukhas roads and chanted slogans.

Addressing the protesters, GDA losing candidate Jam Nafees said the decision of conducting the elections under the district administration was a controversial step from the day one.

He alleged that the entire district administration, who had been serving under the umbrella of the PPP government for 15 years, expressed their loyalty to them (PPP) and not to the country.

KARACHI: The coordination committee of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) is to meet on Monday (today) to discuss and announce its course of action against the recently held ‘fraudulent’ elections.

Talking to Dawn, GDA information secretary Sardar Abdul Rahim said that the meeting of central leaders would be held at the residence of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader Syed Sadruddin Shah Rashidi in the city.

He further said that the GDA’s central leadership would participate in the meeting to discuss the alleged collusion between the Election Commission of Pakistan and Pakistan Peoples Party to rig the elections.

“The rigging by other staff, including District Returning Officers and Returning Officers, will be uncovered,” he claimed.

He said that the plan of action against stealing the mandate of the people would be decided in the meeting.

“The meeting will also consider increasing cooperation with other parties,” he added.

Sardar Rahim said that the attacks on GDA workers on election day and thereafter, and the filing of false cases would also be considered in the meeting.

“The meeting will also consider the illegal casting of fake votes especially by private people and the PPP workers with the active connivance with the polling staff and police,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a statement, he strongly condemned the acts of revenge, false cases and incidents of violence against leaders and workers of PML-F and Hur Jamaat.

He said that after losing in Dhamrah UC of district Nawabshah, the PPP became a victim of fraud and registered false cases against the leaders and workers of Hur Jamaat, including Dawati Khalifa Abdul Sattar Dahri, Noor Dahri, G.R Dahri.

Meanwhile, the Sindh United Party has summoned a meeting of the party’s high command to discuss what it called fraudulent elections and finalise their future course of action.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2024