KARACHI, Oct 25: A number of candidates who contested and lost the Oct 10 elections have alleged that pre-poll rigging and after-election manipulation led to their defeat.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Friday, Mohammed Baksh Lashari of the PPP said that he raised objections and even grabbed a person involved in bogus voting. No action was taken against him. “Instead I was detained for half-an-hour,” he said.

Abid Jaffri of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, who was a candidate for a National Assembly seat, alleged that his supporters were not allowed to vote by his opponents although police had arrested 85 armed men belonging to another group on Oct 9.

Amanullah Paracha of the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf said that voter lists provided to the candidates were incomplete. Citing examples of NA-239, he claimed that book No 003, which contained names of 7,000 voters, was not provided to the candidates.

He maintained that on the day of polling, a polling booth in Mawach Goth was shifted to Raees Goth which was 12 kilometres away.

All the candidates alleged that results were changed in the darkness of the night with the involvement of presiding officers.

They demanded re-elections in their constituencies — NA-239, 240, 251, etc.—APP