KARACHI, July 28: The People’s Party Parliamentarians on Thursday demanded that the chief election commissioner should order removal of thousands of names from additional voters’ list that had no NIC number and address of residence.
Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, PPP leaders Taj Haider, MPA Jam Saifullah Dharejo and MNA Sherry Rehman called for penalizing those who had indulged in illegal activity.
MPA Dharejo said the additional voters’ list was a proof of the government plan to stuff ballot boxes with bogus votes.
He came with suitcase full of what he termed as “evidence” of inclusion of at least 10,000 such names whose NIC and addresses were not mentioned.
He said the people whose names had been mentioned were not the residents of the area.
He said according to the Election Commission inclusion in the electoral roll could only be made by the registration officer on production of applications accompanied by NICs and other documents which proved the identity of the voters but the AEC/RO Ghotki ignored mandatory provision of law and instructions issued in this regard.
He said if the Election Commission really wanted free and fair elections then it should not only strike out such names but also punish the individuals concerned.
In the context of alleged pre-poll rigging by the government, Mr Dharejo accused the government of creating seven new UCs in Ghotki and brought changes in boundaries of 28 UCs to the advantage of ruling party candidates.
MNA Sherry Rehman said the elections had become controversial and if the CEC wanted to establish his neutrality he must immediately address these concerns by taking remedial measures.
According to PPP monitoring committee’s report, while the Awam Dost candidates in UC Mir Baksh Shujrah and UC Garhi Degho, Nisar Khan and Akbar Teghani were busy in the scrutiny of their papers SP Shikarpur arrested Teghani chieftain Tegho Khan Teghani and his two cousins who were running the Awam Dost campaign in these two UCs of Khanpur taluka.
There were no charges against them. Awam Dost candidate for nazim in UC Rahimabad Akbar Pahore, his proposer and seconder were also implicated in a case of motor cycle theft.
In Nawabshah, ADP candidate for nazim in UC-2 of Sakrand, Abdul Khaliq Magsi, was being chased for the last two days by the Sakrand police which had Police had raided his house and his relatives and friends were being pressurized to force him to withdraw from the contest.
A false revenue bill was issued to ADP candidate for nazim in UC Dhora, Taluka Sakrand.
The Awam Dost candidate in UC Hamal Faqir Ghulam Shah Leghari was given Abiana bill of Rs400,000 while he owns only 30 acres of land.
The alleged those two days back fresh transfers were made in clear violation of election laws by posting Inspector Ali Bux Jamali as SHO Crime Investigation Cell Nawabshah.
In Thatta, Awam dost candidates for nazims and naib nazims whose papers had been rejected on flimsy grounds had filed appeals against rejection of their papers in the Sindh High Court.
In UC Dumai, Tehsil Thatta candidates for nazim and naib nazim were abducted allegedly by the Sheerazi group.
They were brought to the RO in custody of these persons where they withdrew their candidature.
The head of the PPP monitoring committee for the local body elections Taj Haider said the previous local body elections were peaceful but this time it was a matter of grave concern because the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was contesting these elections.
The wave of alleged terror against Awam Dost candidates in UC-7 Millat Nagar, Saddar Town, culminated last night as Iqbal Ghanchi, husband of candidate for reserved seat for labour Zainab Ghanchi was kidnapped after firing on their house.
Awam Dost candidate Hameeda Iqbal in the meantime had shifted to a safer place.
When she reported on her duty in her office the ruling party activist went to her office and told her that her children had been kidnapped and the only way to secure their release was to accompany them to the court and withdraw from the contests.