Extra time should be given at all stations where polling was delayed
Deputy Convener of the Co-ordination Committee of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and candidate from NA – 249 Dr Muhammad Farooq Sattar has said that the worst kind of rigging was being done at the polling stations of NA – 248 and NA – 249. Polling was being deliberately slowed in some areas while elements of Lyari gang war had taken over polling stations.
Addressing a press conference at Khursheed Begum Secretariat Dr Sattar said that terrorists of the gang war had forcefully taken away ballot boxes and ballot papers and depositing them at the polling stations after stamping the ballot papers. Dr Sattar said that no one was stopping the terrorists of the gang war from hijacking the election process in NA- 248 and NA – 249.
Dr Sattar said that nearly similar situation was present in other constituencies of the national assembly as well including NA- 240, NA-250, NA – 251, NA – 253 and NA – 255 where a large number of bogus votes were being cast.
He said that the MQM had been pointing out that a conspiracy was hatched to hijack the election process by terrorism, bomb blasts, bloodshed and violence. Despite everything, the MQM did not boycott the general elections and remained in the contest.
Dr Sattar said that polling started late by at least three hours at over 75 per cent of polling stations due to unavailability of ballot papers and ballot boxes. He said that the election commission and other concerned authorities should fix the responsibility of criminal negligence.
He said that ballot boxes and ballot papers arrived very late in the constituencies that had traditionally belonged to the MQM. It was a clear indication that a conspiracy was being hatched to steal the mandate of the MQM.
He said that out of 186 polling stations of NA – 249, polling started after 12:30 pm on 119 polling stations. The Chief Election Commissioner and the District Returning Officers said that the armed forces were responsible for the work. The MQM polling agents were tortured and evicted from the polling stations.
Dr Sattar said that the polling process was also being slowed down by police and rangers on the pretext of checking. This negated the holding of free and transparent elections.
Dr Sattar demanded of the election commission of Pakistan to give extra time for polling at all polling stations where polling was delayed due to any reason.
Speaking on the occasion, MQM candidate from NA – 248 Nabil Gabol said that all the polling stations in Lyari had been captured by terrorists of the gang war, and they were casting bogus votes. He said that even the returning officer of NA – 248 was not attending his phone. He said that a presiding officer was kidnapped from phool patti lane in Lyari and the terrorists made away with the ballot papers. He said that free hand was given to the terrorists.
Mr Gabol said that a conspiracy was hatched to snatch five constituencies from the MQM.
Member of the Co-ordination Committee Raza Haroon condemned the firing on MQM workers in Nawabshah resulting in the death of one MQM worker. He said that media should not level allegations against any particular party before the announcement of results.
Speaking on the occasion former MNA Haider Abbas Rizvi said that the people had come out on the polling day on the appeal of Altaf Hussain and allegations of rigging were directly affecting the MQM.
Mr Rizvi appealed to the people of Karachi to brave the situation and urged them to cast their vote under any condition.