HYDERABAD, Oct 8: Four candidates for PS-48, Hyderabad-VI, and one candidate for NA-219, Hyderabad-II, belonging to different political parties, have alleged activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) are harassing rival candidates and their supporters.
Speaking at a press conference at the press club here on Tuesday, Mohajir Ittihad Tehrik (MIT) candidate for NA-219 Dr Saleem Haider, accompanied by the candidates for PS-48 — Sultan Shaikh of the PML-N, Prof Sadurddin Meo of the National Alliance, Syed Mushtaq Ali of the MMA and Syed Khalid Hussain of the MIT — said the MQM was using all methods to win the general election.
He said the activists of the Muttahida had removed hundreds of banners and posters of opposing candidates and had roughed up the PML (N) candidate, Sultan Shaikh, also depriving him of his watch and cash, but the police and other authorities concerned had taken no notice of that.
The Muttahida activists had also warned Shaikh not to leave his house for the next four days otherwise the consequences would be disastrous, he said.
Dr Haider, who is the chief of the MIT, further said on Oct 6 workers of another candidate, Samiuddin Sajid, and MIT worker Naushad Umrani were also subjected to violence. He said women activists of different political parties had also been threatened.
He said they had informed the returning officer, Kazi Allah Bux, about the highhandedness of the MQM but he had expressed his helplessness.
He claimed the list of polling staff of Latifabad had been provided to the MQM.
The Muttahida had called the polling staff at a meeting and threatened them with dire consequences if they did not announce the results in favour of its candidates, he further claimed.
The MIT chief demanded army should be deployed at polling stations in Hyderabad and Latifabad.
Speaking on the occasion, PML (N) candidate Shaikh said holding of impartial election was out of the question as Gen Pervez Musharraf and other generals were supporting the MQM.
He claimed presiding officers and assistant presiding officers posted at Latifabad polling stations belonged to the Muttahida.
Our Correspondent adds: The chairman, Mohajir Quami Movement, Afaq Ahmed, has said that the implementation of the Pakistan Resolution of 1940 was tantamount to breaking the country into pieces.
He said this while addressing a press conference at the residence of party leader, Nadeem-ul-Islam, on Tuesday.
He said that in the 1940 resolution the word ‘states’ had been mentioned but in the 1946 resolution the word had been replaced with ‘state’.
Several MQM candidates including Engineer Irfan, Tariq Sheikh, and Riaz Qureshi were also present on the occasion.
Dispelling the impression that Mohajirs were against the Sindhi-speaking people or Sindh province, he said that his party and Mohajirs were against “the terrorists” who had disgraced and humiliated Urdu-speaking women and committed excesses in Pacca Qilla.
He claimed that his party had not been allowed to work in two areas of Karachi despite repeated complaints, adding that the authorities remained least concerned and even did not reply to his complaints.