KARACHI, Aug 13: The Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians on Friday accused the Election Commission of changing 17 polling stations and setting up 16 new ones in the NA-229 to facilitate election of Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Deputy Secretary General Senator Raza Rabbani, Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and MNA Nawab Yousuf Talpur of the PPP-P also accused Mr Aziz of spearheading anti-Sindh policies.
They were speaking at a press conference, which was attended by several other party leaders and legislators, here on Friday. Alleging that the government was resorting to pre-poll rigging and victimizing PPP supporters, they regretted that the EC had not responded to the 18 complaints lodged with it by the PPP about pre-poll rigging.
Mr Rabbani criticized the finance minister for not caring for the country's interests and, instead, serving the interests of international donor agencies. "How could a man who failed even in evolving a consensus on the NFC while holding the portfolio of finance, be expected to resolve the country's all issues as prime minister?"
Mr Rabbani argued, and said that the government's failure in reconstituting the NFC and distributing the province's share judiciously had not only created financial problems for the smaller federating units, but also appeared to be violation of Article-160 of the Constitution.
Pointing at the alleged violation of Sections 22 and 23 of the Representation of People Act, Mian Raza Rabbani, who is also parliamentary leader of the PPP-Parliamentarians in the Senate, criticized the Sindh chief minister for accusing his party of making attempts to create a law and order situation in the NA-229 constituency.
"In fact, it is the government which was planning to create a law and order situation to distract the attention of the opposition and media and exploit that situation for stuffing the ballot," he claimed.
The PPP-P leader said the people wanted to know why was the country being forced with four by-elections - two at the moment, and another two only after Mr Aziz got himself elected as MNA.
Mr Khuhro, opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, remarked that Mr Aziz symbolized strong advocate and supporter of the projects that were bound to turn Sindh into desert and render many people jobless.
Owing to the finance minister's policies the number of jobless people committing suicide was going high, he observed, and lamented the government for "tailoring rules and regulations in Mr Aziz's favour.
He also accused Chief Minister Dr Arbab of bartering away Sindh's interests for personal gains, and wondered that on the one hand, the CM had offered a constituency to a person who did not belong to it, and on the other, he declared that he would not allow any outsider to enter the polling stations in the constituency as a polling agent.
Mr Khuhro also cited various examples of, what he called, "excesses against PPP supporters at the hands of the administration", and claimed that at many places, such as Subharo Shah village and adjoining areas, people were literally beaten up for attending a PPP-P meeting.
Similarly, he claimed that in Mithi too, shopkeepers and other people were being subjected to threats and harassment by the local administration. He demanded an end to the government's strong arm tactics and victimization, and called for ensuring safety and security of polling agents.
He also claimed that the government had set up the new polling stations in private properties to manipulate the results. Nawab Talpur alleged that Rangers, along with local administration, had trespassed his lands and closed the water channels that irrigated his lands.
He warned authorities against involving the para-military force in activities aimed against people, and said that an impression was gaining ground that under a deliberate policy, the government was trying to use Rangers against Sindh people to usurp their rights and resources at a time when the government was bracing for a full-scale military operation in Balochistan.