KARACHI, Nov 18: The Sindh Council of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party on Saturday claimed that its strategy and public mobilisation helped foil ruling party’s alleged attempt to rig Shikarpur by-polls.

This was stated by the provincial party chief, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, at a news conference after the Sindh Council’s meeting at the Peoples’ Secretariat.

Mr Shah claimed that although the chief minister and the ruling PML (Q) central secretary-general had addressed election rallies of their candidate, the presence of frontline PPP leaders and mobilisation of party cadre prevented the ruling party to manipulate the outcome.

The PPP leader, however, said that attempts were made by the ruling party members to stuff ballot boxes at some places. He claimed that at ladies polling booths such attempts were glaring but foiled by the polling agents and PPP supporters.

In this context, Mr Shah cited an incident at a polling station where MPA Shazia Marri was deputed. A proclaimed offender tried to run away with some ballot boxes from the ladies polling station but was detained and released shortly.

He also accused Deputy Speaker in Sindh Assembly Rahila Tiwana, of misusing her powers. Mr Shah alleged that Ms Tiwana tried to stop polling at a place where a large number of PPP supporters were waiting to caste their votes.

The PPP leader alleged that the ruling party supporters also resorted to firing at some places to terrorise PPP supporters.

Refuting the ruling party’s claim that the PPP had police support, he said all the staff for the election was deputed by the government and not by the PPP.

He reiterated his objection to the new electoral list being prepared by the Election Commission for the upcoming polls and said the new list was flawed as it had left out a large number of people.

In Jacobabad, he said that in 2002 polls 332,000 people were registered in the voters’ list but in the current list so far 251,000 people had been registered, leaving about 30 per cent of the population, thus disenfranchising them.

Similarly in Nawabshah 63,3000 were listed in the list for 2002 but in the current list 41,4000 had been included. Thus 209,000 have not been listed, he informed. Mr Shah said that in Umarkot only 241,735 had been listed as against 345,000 in 2002. As such 103,000 may not be able to vote.