LARKANA, Aug 22: Member of the National Assembly and leader of the People’s Party Parliamentarians, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, has criticized what he called massive rigging in polls in Kashmore and urged the Election Commission to hold re-election in five union councils on August 25 under army’s supervision.
Accompanied by the Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, MNA Anwar Bhutto and MPA Ayaz Soomro at Bughio House, he told newsmen that ‘blatant rigging’ was committed using state apparatus only to favour the PML candidates in the local body polls on August 18 in Kashmor.
Citing examples, he said the Returning officer (RO) caught red-handed the SHO Risaldar Police Station Risaldar in union council Risladar for stamping ballot papers.
The RO asked for registering FIR against the SHO for his illegal act but the DPO, Mr Feroz Abbasi, merely suspended him.
In union council Karampur, he said, the presiding officer took ballot boxes and ballot papers to the residence of SHO Kandhkot A-section Ubedullah Jagirani in connivance with Iqbal Ahmed Bijarani and started stamping ballot papers to tamper the results.
Major Farooque of the Pakistan Rnagers handed over the presiding officer and assistant presiding officer along with the tampered material and ballot boxes to DSP Kandhkot for initiating action but no action was taken, he said.
Instead of taking action against the presiding officer, assistant presiding officer and the SHO, two different FIRS’ on the directive of Sindh chief minister were registered against me and 50 others, Mr Bijarani added.
In union council Gulwali, the supporters of pro-government candidate Noor Mohammed Khoso tried to cast bogus votes using counterfeit Identity Cards. When resisted they took out away ballot boxes, ballot papers to their houses and returned material after tampering with the results with bogus stamping.
In union council Haibat, union council Shalyani and union council Duplatpur bogus ID were used, he said.
He alleged that MNA Saleem Jan Mazari, with the active connivance of DPO Feroz Abbasi, had committed many more irregularities.
He said that MNA Mazari, violating code of conduct, was moving on Election Day along with four police mobiles and four SHOS’ of Mazari cast. He said that Chief Election commissioner was informed about the illegitimate acts. Mr Bijarani said that out of 37 union councils, results of 32 had been announced while that of five were withheld. So far, Mr Bijarani claimed that despite massive rigging and use of state machinery, the ADP candidates emerged victorious on 20 union councils and 17 were begged by pro-government candidates.
He demanded deployment of army on August 25 when re-polling on five union councils would be held in Kashmor.
He claimed that ADP nazims would form future district government in Kashmor.
Speaking on the occasion, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, said that if law-enforcing agencies were sent to protect ministers, they performed well.
He said that election commission had lost its credibility as ministers’ senators and even chief minister Sindh had blatantly violated the code of conduct.