KARACHI, Oct 16: The People’s Party Parliamentarians would elect its parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly within next two to three days.

This was stated by Nisar Khuhro, President, Pakistan People’s Party Sindh, at a news conference on Wednesday.

Mr Khuhro said besides contacting the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the PPP was also in touch with other political forces because the prime objective of the party was the establishment of a civilian government in the province.

He blamed the establishment for “massive rigging” in the province and said the PPP had drawn the attention of the election commission, but so far, it had received no relief.

Asked how many independents had supported the PPP, Mr Khuhro declined to divulge the details, and said such things would be announced in a joint statment.

With regard to rigging, he said that despite declaring some polling stations as sensitive, no special measures were taken owing to which the pro-regime candidates stuffed the ballot boxes.

Mr Khuhro was joined in by the PPP candidates from Tharparkar who at length dealt with pre-poll rigging and subversion of will of the people on Oct 10.

PPP’s candidates Gul Mohammad Lat, Gianchand, Iqbal Rahmoo, Dr Ashok, Dr. Mahesh Mallani and Hari Ram who lost the elections alleged that in Tharparkar, establishment’s indulgence and rigging in favour of the pro-regime candidates surpassed even the wrong-doings committed during Jam Sadiq’s tenure.

They said entire Tharparker was virtually made a no-go area for the PPP candidates where their polling agents were either not allowed or those who managed to slip in were abducted and threatened.

They alleged that minority community members were virtually forced out of the area where the pro-regime candidates stuffed the ballot boxes.

They said at the polling stations where the PPP agents were not allowed, the turnout was shown between 80 and 97 per cent. On the contrary, on the polling stations where the PPP was leading, the turnout has been shown between 20 and 25 per cent.

Gul Mohammad Lat said out of 380 polling stations not a single vote had been polled for the PPP in 75 polling stations. At these polling stations, the PPP polling agents were not allowed.

The Parliamentarians candidates said in the previous elections not more than 90,000 votes were polled in Tharparker but this time out of over 400,000 registered voters, 250,000 were shown exercising their voting right. They said the turnout in the whole of Sindh was about 32 per cent whereas in this area the turnout was more than 55 per cent.

They demanded that the elections in the area be declared null and void and punitive action be taken against police officials concerned.