KARACHI, Aug 28: The Pakistan People’s Party has drawn the attention of the chief election commissioner to “pre-poll rigging” by the authorities.
It said false and exaggerated demands were being made for payment of government dues, income tax and utility charges at the nick of time.
In a communication addressed to the CEC, the acting secretary-general of the PPP, Raza Rabbani, termed such demands unique method of seeking disqualification of candidates.
Candidates are being asked to make payments and prefer appeals subsequently. Further cumbersome details and additional documentation is being sought with regard to degrees that have been filed.
This, he said, is yet another face of pre-poll rigging being indulged by the regime.
It not only brings financial pressure on the intending candidate but his failure to comply exposes him to disqualification, he maintained.
He also drew the attention of the CEC to alleged pre-poll rigging in Jacobabad district and said it was an attempt to provide undue advantage to the candidates of the “Kings Party”.
In this context, he said 42 polling stations for Thul STC, Misripur STC and Muradpur STC of Thul Taluka have been prepared under the supervision and instructions of a member of the Sindh Cabinet.
The said polling stations have been proposed in the area of one tribe alone, despite the fact that government buildings are available, 18 polling stations have been improvised.
These polling stations remained unchanged in five general elections namely, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993 and 1997.
Meanwhile, PPP’s top leadership was engrossed in late night session at Bilawal House to workout strategy on the outcome of scrutiny of Ms Benazir Bhutto’s nomination papers from two Larkana constituencies — NA-204 and 207 — which is to coincide on Thursday with the hearing of her petition challenging certain measures to prevent her from contesting elections.
For the PPP, the outcome of scrutiny would have decisive bearing on the election campaign of the PPP Parliamentarians.
The kind of information she was asked to provide in a short span pertained to source of financing, the studies abroad, normal duration of course actual period in which the degree was obtained, mode of study, whether it was obtained through research or course work, number of credit hours.
The long list is part of the UGC application form for equivalence of qualification certificate.
But the ordeal of candidates is not confined to educational degree and the clearance of utility bills.
They were being grilled by the returning officers on minor details of religious knowledge. Many of the ROs were asking Islamic philosophy, which made the candidates very nervous.
A similar book defining good Muslims was published during General Ziaul Haq’s non-party elections has been provided to the ROs with minor modifications.
The manner in which details of religious knowledge is being asked by some of the ROs gives the impression as if people were being interviewed to send only religious people to the parliament.
Not many questions were asked during the day about the working of the parliament and rules of business etc.
“It appears that the government is bent upon creating hurdles for the people’s representatives,” said Kunwar Khalid Yunus of Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
He said this book was there for a long time but had not been used in such manner even during Gen Zia’s time. It was never used during subsequent elections, he said.
In fact, this point was raised by Kunwar Khalid Yunus with the RO, because he felt that it was an exercise to harassing the candidates.