HYDERABAD, Oct 16: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) will observe thanksgiving day in Hyderabad on Friday, the party’s local leaders said during a news conference on Wednesday.

The MMA secured one National Assembly and one provincial Assembly seat from Hyderabad during the polls.

The MMA has won one National Assembly (NA-220) and one Provincial Assembly seat (PS-45) from Hyderabad.

Terming the MMA’s victory people’s verdict against extortion, lawlessness and killings, the MNA-elect from NA-220, Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair, promised to try to protect the people, specially the business community, against extortion.

Blaming the authorities of discriminating against the MMA, he said the MMA would have won more seats despite the Muttahida’s intimidation.

Referring to the delay in announcement of election results, Sahibzada Zubair accused the Muttahida workers of holding presiding officers hostages at some polling stations.

Muttahida workers, he said, were still harassing the people even after the polls.

He said that the Muttahida should gracefully accept its defeat.

Speaking on the occasion, the MMA’s MPA-elect from PS-45, Abdul Rehman Rajput, accused the workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of intimidating voters and polling staff at almost all female polling stations.

Mr Rajput blamed the federal ministry of interior of being directly involved in the rigging, saying that the local administration had been directed by the interior ministry to support the Muttahida candidates at all cost.

The MMA candidate, who was defeated from NA-219, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, also spoke on the occasion.