LARKANA, Aug 12: The Pakistan Peoples Party, Larkana, has termed the massive relocation of polling stations in the district pre-poll rigging and demanded of the Election Commission to restore their old locations.

Talking to Dawn here on Monday, Sardar Shabbir Ahmed Chandio, President, PPP, Larkana district, alleged that 90 per cent polling stations in the district had been shifted to less-populated villages.

He said that it would not only hamper the voting process but would also create transport problem for the voters.

Terming it pre-election rigging, he said that the massive relocation of the polling stations was combined with appointment of such polling staff who would favour pro-government political parties.

He said that the plan of pre-poll rigging included the recent massive transfers of the government functionaries from the district.

He said that these measures would stain the transparency of election and demanded to restore the previous locations of the polling stations.

The General Secretary, PPP, Larkana district, Mohammed Anwar Bhutto, said that alone in the constituency of the party chief Benazir Bhutto, 29 polling stations had been relocated.

He said old locations of the polling stations had been determined either before the Partition or used since 1988 till the referendum held by the present government.

According to him, the villages and towns from where polling stations were to be shifted to new locations included Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto, Ratodero, Mirokhan, Saindad Leghari, Purano Tharo, Gul Kalhoro, Bakhar Mahesar, Ali Mohammed Soomro, Soonharo Bhatti, Chhutto Mastoi, Khanwah, Bhai Khan Ghanghro, Jummo Agham, Khokhar, Akil Hakiro, Usman Unnar, Lashari and Moria Faqir.

Chandio and Bhutto said that most of the new polling stations were either away from roads or shifted to small villages with less number of registered voters.

This would affect ratio of the voters, they said and added that this had been done to show the world that Ms Benazir Bhutto was losing popularity and vote bank.