KARACHI: The woman who was known as the mother of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was laid to rest on Sunday among the presence of family members, friends, party activists and admirers.

Respected among peers and party members, Zahra Shahid Hussain was the one who patched things up when activists would squabble among themselves. She was also the one who would assist the female workers of the party when they had difficulty managing home and politics.

On May 19, the day of the re-elections, the senior leader of PTI had planned to show support for her party by visiting polling stations. But the 69-year-old woman could not follow through with her plans as she was shot dead hours before the re-election were supposed to start. Instead, she was laid to rest the Gizri graveyard in Phase IV on Sunday.

Party activists hold a candlelight vigil outside Do Talwar. PHOTO: ATHER KHAN/EXPRESS

PT Sindh’s senior vice-president was shot dead on May 18 outside her house, but the police have yet to ascertain if the killing was targeted or an attempted robbery gone wrong.

Zahra was among PTI’s founding members and was part of the Shaukat Khanum Board. She was known to be one of the driving forces behind the fund-raising for the cancer hospital.

Misbah Khalid, a PTI worker, said that they had lost an inspiriting personality. “I have known her since 2009. She was the reason why so many women joined the party. She was the one who kept everyone together.”

Along with being part of the party’s planning and decision making process, she was also active in campaigning. Zahra had actively participated in the recent protests and was present at Friday’s protest on Teen Talwar, said the president of the party’s Insaf professional Forum, Dr Sajjad. Zahra who used to once teach international relations at the Karachi University was popular among youngsters, especially her students. Hammad, who was clearly disturbed by her death, said that she was an amazing teacher.

Zahra Shahid Hussain

Adviser to home affairs, Sharfuddin memon, who is friends with Zahra’s brother, said, “She was the kind of lady who could easily reach to youngsters and mingle with them. She was very friendly.”

The late leader had also acted in an advertisement for a mobile company some years ago. “It was a funny commercial where everyone was stuck in the lift and Zahra aunty was supposed to act as if she was claustrophobic,” said Jami who had made the advertisement. Calling her a face of hope, Jami said that she was a dynamic and lively person.

Sudden demise

Zahra’s funeral prayers were held at the Sultan Masjid in Khayaban-e-Hafiz. But the mourning procession also held feelings of anger along with sadness. “Those who killed her wanted to sabotage the elections,” said Nawab Khan Swati who had come with dozens of activists. “Arif Alvi is also on the hit list. Though it too early to say who killed Zahra, everyone knows who is behind such murders and violence.”

At Zahra’s house in Phase IV, her daughter Najo tried her best to explain what had happened. “I was upstairs when I heard firing and the driver shouting.” A surgeon by profession, Najo said that her mother passed away in front of her. “She died in my arms in less than three minutes,” she said while controlling her tears. Driver Ghulam Rasool who was the only eyewitness pointed towards the bullet mark inside the house.  He was driving Zahra back from a club where she had gone for swimming. “It is very shocking. I can’t believe this happened,” he said while standing outside the house which had been marked as a crime scene by the police.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2013.

The party appeared to have switched gears on Friday — the main purpose of the gathering seemed to be to encourage young voters to cast their ballots again on Sunday.

The protest on Friday night was slightly more eventful than the previous ones: people who took part in it witnessed a bit of drama and tension when the Clifton and Defence police brought in a water cannon to Teen Talwar.

“You have just one minute to disperse,” said the officers inside the large vehicle on which the cannon was mounted. The law enforcers also constantly told the protesters to turn off the laser lights which they aimed at the vehicle.

PTI leader Firdous Naqvi explained to the police officers that their protest was a peaceful one but a law enforcer clad in kameez shalwar didn’t listen to his argument and said the group was violating section 144, which bans public gatherings of more than four people.

This angered the protesters who yelled back asking why people at Nine Zero aren’t threatened with blasts of water when they talk of separating Karachi from the rest of the country. Naqvi and other PTI leaders said the water cannons had been hauled in as a part of a conspiracy to disrupt their peaceful protest. “We are nonviolent people,” he said.

Omer Anwar, who cast his vote after standing in line for six hours said he was ready to come out again. “I am ready to come out on Sunday and brave the hot weather to vote again.”

Samina who came to the protest with her two daughters said that for free and fair elections, she is ready to step out of her house over and over again. On May 11 she was unable to cast her vote at DHA school in Phase IV. “I am grateful to the election commission for giving us a chance to vote again, but I hope that they would give in to the demand of holding elections in the whole city.” First-time voters and students Kaleemullah Masood and Abdul Rehman said that if elections are not held again, they would never vote again in their life. One side of the road from Teen Talwar to the underpass was closed down as the protest was taking place. A huge screen had been set up, showing pictures of PTI chief Imran Khan.

Men and women sat on the road, waving the party’s flags. Awab, the son of NA-250 candidate Arif Alvi, said that they were preparing for Sunday. “We will bring in our heavyweights and organise more camps at polling stations.” The party is not done with protests. According to Jawad, a party worker, they have planned an overnight protest at 5 star Chowrangi, North Nazimabad at 7pm and would not stop demonstrations till elections are held again in all of Karachi’s constituencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2013.

The scorching sun tested Jameela’s patience again on Wednesday as she sat among the protesters of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement who were demanding re-polling in her constituency of NA-250.

“Hundreds of voters like me were not able to cast their votes as polling was delayed due to the unavailable ballot boxes and stamps. We want elections to be held again so that we can vote,” explained the sun-burnt woman, who had been anxiously voting for five years to show her ‘dedication’ to her party.

Despite 36 hours passing by, the MQM activists and supporters remained undeterred by the hot weather and the security threats, and continued their dharna outside the Sindh election commission office in Saddar. Their demand was clear and simple -  re-elections should be held in the entire constituency of NA-250 instead of just 43 polling stations as ordered by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

A wide representation

The protesters gathered for MQM’s sit-in were not only from Defence Housing Authority and Clifton, but also from Delhi Colony, Bizerta Lines and other underdeveloped areas of the constituency which faced delays on May 11.

Barkat Ali from Qayyumabad was among those who were unable to put their stamp on the kite. At his area in sector-C, voting started at 2pm and was wrapped up by 6pm. “They did not even extend the time and many were left disappointed.” Ali, who witnessed smooth polling in the 2008 elections, said that this time his polling station was at a distance of 4kms from his home and they had to walk to the station as public transport was not available.

Dr Fauzia Hameed, a resident of Gizri, said that she had come to protest even though her son’s O’ Level paper was being held on the same day. “I am here to raise voice for all the people who became victims of the election commission’s inefficiency that day [May 11],” she said. She was sitting cross-legged among a group of women holding banners who claimed that they did not get any sleep because of protest all night.

With the protesters occupying the entire road, the passport office remained closed and so were the green doors of the election commission.

Ready to stay as long as it takes

All arrangements for the dharna were taken into consideration by the party – a tent had been put up to protect the men and women from the scorching sun, mobile toilets had been set up on the side, and food items, such as biscuits, custard packets and water bottles, were frequently being distributed. For lunch and dinner, the protesters — who kept the festive mood alive — had biryani.

Apart from raising slogans such as jeena hoga, marna hoga, dharna hoga dharna hoga [live or die, sit-in will continue], the party workers would often get up and dance to the party songs blaring from the loudspeakers. For security, the party had deployed their own men who checked each person going inside.

MQM’s candidate for NA-250 Khushbakht Shujaat said that after seeing the situation on the day of election, they had immediately written to the election commission. “Why should there be polling in only 43 stations? Are these people not part of NA-250?” she asked, gesturing towards the crowd. She stated that the MQM protesters were protesting in a constitutional manner in front of the election commission as opposed to those blocking main roads. “Because of the election commission, ballot boxes did not reach on time and polling staff was absent.”

The dharna will continue till the demand for re-election in entire NA-250 is met, stated the adamant protesters.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2013.

The re-poll at the same polling stations for the two provincial assembly seats of Sindh, PS-112 and PS-113 that fall under this constituency will also be held, the ECP said.

Polling at 43 polling stations was suspended after reports of large scale anomalies on May 11.

The commission has decided to change the colour of the ballot papers to be used in Sunday’s re-poll to distinguish them from those polling stations whose ballots were recognised as valid. The commission has decided to use white coloured ballot paper for National Assembly and light green for provincial assembly seats.

MQM’s Khushbakht Shujaat, PTI’s Dr. Arif Alvi and JI’s Naimatullah were the main contestants in this constituency.

PTI had been holding protest demonstrations over hooliganism in the area on the polling day. MQM’s Khushbakht Shujaat also demanded re-polling in a press conference the other day. However she wanted re-polling in the whole constituency.

Imran Khan’s PTI claims that it would have easily won from this constituency and few others in the city had there been fair polls.

The unofficial results show that PTI has already made an entry into the Sindh assembly by winning a provincial assembly and is optimistic of winning a couple of more in Sunday’s re-poll. Expect for Balochistan, the PTI will now have a presence in all assemblies with a likely government in KPK where it emerged as the largest party.

The MQM rejected the election commission’s decision of holding elections in 43 polling stations in NA-250, and has called for re-polling in the entire constituency.

In a press conference held on Tuesday, MQM leader Mustafa Kamal said that they would not accept the election commission’s decision. ‘Elections should be held again in the whole of NA-250. In many areas, polling started at 3 in the afternoon because ballot boxes could not reach on time, but the plight of these stations is being ignored by the election commission.’

He also said that re-polling should be conducted in 180 polling stations of PS 112 and PS 113.

Kamal said that elections were held in the whole country, but only Karachi was targeted and criticized throughout. “Voter verification was only carried out in Karachi,” he said. Meanwhile MQM chief Altaf Hussain has also demanded re-elections in NA-250.

A day earlier, the MQM had criticised the PTI’s street protests, and MQM chief Altaf Hussain made a controversial speech about the protestors, which the MQM had to issue a clarification about. At the press conference however, the MQM announced that it would also start a series of demonstrations.

Following the announcement, a number of MQM supporters from Delhi Colony, Punjab Colony, DHA and Clifton reached the provincial election commission, and demanded for elections to be held in the entire constituency.

Meanwhile, MQM chief Altaf Hussain is said to be unwell and has been advised bed rest by his doctors due to over-exertion because of his strenuous activities during the election campaign.

Responding to the MQM’s call for re-elections in NA-250, Arif Alvi, while speaking at the PTI protest at Native Jetty, questioned why the MQM doesn’t simply call for elections in all of Karachi.

“Why is the MQM afraid? I’ll tell you what it is afraid of. It knows that the PTI will sweep Karachi if free and fair elections are held,” said Alvi. He said that the victory of the PTI candidate in PS-93 is proof that people voted for the party in their thousands and that if the elections were not rigged, the party would have won all the seats.

The ECP has also ordered the recounting of ballots in NA-154 Lodhran on request of PTI candidate Jahangir Khan Tareen. The commission has ordered recount of all the ballot papers polled on election-day in the constituency.

Meanwhile PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, secretary general Mushahid Hussain Syed, PTI’s Jahangir Tarin and Maulana Attaur Rehman the brother of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman visited the ECP headquarters and filed complaints on alleged rigging in certain constituencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2013.

This is the scene you would have met if you ventured out to Shahrae Faisal on Monday. Here, protesters defied the ban on public meetings imposed by the government, and gathered in hundreds to block the Shahrae Faisal in presence of heavily armed police and Rangers.

On the second day of protests against the alleged hijacking of the elections in Karachi, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s demand remained the same. Arif Alvi, the party’s candidate for NA-250, said, “We want re-elections in Karachi.” The election commission has already announced that there will be re-polling at 42 polling stations in the constituency.

Clad in white shalwar kameez, Alvi sat with his supporters in the middle of the road and declared that the Constitution gives them the right to protest peacefully.

He said that PTI doesn’t want any confrontation with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), which had been accused by several political parties of hijacking the elections in Karachi. “But we do want free and fair elections and MQM should agree to this.” He added that PTI has submitted an application in Supreme Court for re-elections. Behind him, a group of energetic young men chanted, “Jeena hoga, marna hoga, dharna hoga, dharna hoga” [we’ll live, we’ll die, but the protest will go on]. One thing was clear: they weren’t in a mood to end the protest till their demands were met.

The protesters started pouring in at 6:30pm at the Insaaf House near the PSO pump. As they came towards the main road, they faced a water tanker meant to block their movement. However, the protesters simply ran around it shouting ‘nai chalay gi, nai chalay gi, gunda gardi nai chalay gi’ [We won’t put up with hooliganism].

Smirking at them, SSP East Imran Shaukat said the handful of police men would prove to be more powerful than water cannons. “We are enough for them, and we won’t let them stick around for long.”

But the people were not intimidated. “We are on the right path which is why we are not afraid,” said Lubna Saeed. Waseem, another protester said, “I am 50 years old, and for 20 years I have been witnessing MQM’s tyranny in the city. It is time to come out and tell them they don’t own Karachi.”

Not all people who turned up were PTI supporters or voters from NA-250. One such protester was Hasan Ali, a resident of North Karachi. “I don’t belong to NA-250 and I’m not a PTI activist. But I’m here to fight for my rights,” he said. “I not only protest against rigging in NA-250 but all constituencies in the city and demand fresh elections throughout Karachi.” Even a sizeable number of Jamaat-e-Islami supporters turned up.

Amongst the crowd was Kaleem who was slapped by a police officer. Rubbing his face which had gone red after being struck by the bulky officer, he said that he was just asking them that why weren’t they letting them protest. “I am ready for more slaps but I won’t stop asking for free and fair elections.”

Aqsa, a student who saw small children stamping the ballot papers at her polling station near the airport, said she will keep protesting out till the elections are held again. “Everyone has made videos of the rigging done by MQM and it has become viral on social media. They have been exposed.”

Till the filing of the report, the protesters continued to block one side of the Shahrae Faisal as traffic passed slowly and steadily on the other side of the road. After requesting the protesters to disperse after the four-hour sit-in, PTI’s Dr Arif Alvi announced that they will hold another protest at Native Jetty bridge today [Tuesday] at 6:30pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2013.

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters in Karachi staged another protest on Monday against rigging allegations in the May 11 polls.

Between 300 and 400 protesters attempted to block the main thoroughfare in Karachi, the 22 kilometer long Shahrah-e-Faisal, as they staged a protest demanding re-elections in the entire city of Karachi.

Police and Rangers personnel were deployed in heavy force to disperse the crowd, armed with tear gas. PTI candidate for NA-250, Dr Arif Alvi was trying to communicate with them, insisting that they were exercising their constitutional right to a peaceful public gathering.

Earlier on Monday, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was imposed in Karachi, which prohibits a gathering of more than four people at one place for rallies or protests.

Hundreds of activists also took to the streets on Sunday at Teen Talwar, protesting alleged rigging on Election Day. A majority of them held the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) responsible.

KARACHI: A day after historic elections in the country,  the headquarters of Karachi’s largest political force, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were adorned with lights and garlands to celebrate their victory. But in his first speech after elections, MQM chief Altaf Hussain was not in a festive mood.

Enraged by what he called “false accusations” of rigging, Altaf warned the establishment to respect the mandate of Karachi. Painting a bleak picture, he said that if this mandate of the people was unacceptable to the establishment then instead of hurling abuses at the party, they should separate the city from the country. He said there was a limit to tolerating false accusations against the party.

“Stop hating us and don’t force us to demand a separate province or country,” said Altaf, asking his supporters to be mentally prepared as he would call on them in a day or two, and then he will “see who is capable of creating havoc in the city.”

Responding to accusations of rigging by Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI), Jamaat-e Islami (JI) and others, he said, “If you claim that we have rigged the elections in Karachi, where did the tsunami go in Punjab?” He said that if parties want to criticise them then they should do so with proofs, and not indulge in abusive language.

Listing the party’s middle class credential, the MQM chief lashed out at protesting PTI activists gathered at Teen Talwar in Clifton calling them the “burger” class. “I don’t want to fight with you, otherwise my people could have turned the symbolic Teen Talwar into real sword on one order of mine.”

Delivering a fiery speech, the MQM chief warned, “You are playing with fire. If you don’t stop hatred towards Karachi and MQM, then this fire will spread all over the country.”

Taking the former ruling party to task, Altaf said that had the MQM not supported Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) despite having grievances, the PPP coalition government wouldn’t have lasted more than a year.

He reminded his supporters that despite deaths, bombings and threats the highest number of MQM voters had risked their lives to vote. He alleged that the media was showing anti-MQM demonstrators but did not speak of the thousands of MQM voters who turned up to support the party on polling day. “If media and politicians continue their conspiracies against us then…we will break their arms,” he warned.

MQM leader said that his party had secured 10,000 votes in Punjab and would sweep the next elections. In a warning directed at the election commission, Altaf asked the commission to take ‘just’ decisions.

Wrapping up his speech, the MQM chief said that he only had love for his people but warned once again that “If only Punjab is considered the entire country, then the future would be disastrous.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2013.

KARACHI: MQM is here to stay. The unofficial results have made it clear that it will remain the dominant party in the city over the next five years.

At the Khursheed Memorial Secretariat, where the party’s workers were compiling results, MQM leader Wasay Jalil said the party has secured almost all seats it had won when Karachi voted in 2008. At that time, it had won 17 National Assembly seats in the city.

This time around, MQM has managed to clinch all but five of the 20 National Assembly seats in Karachi. It suffered a loss in two constituencies – NA-239, which encompasses Mauripur and Keamari, and NA-258, which comprises parts of Gadap and Bin Qasim. On polling day, the party had boycotted the electoral process in NA-248, the heart of Lyari, accusing the Peoples Amn Committee of rigging at polling stations in the locality. Since the results for NA-250 are on hold because of the re-polling at 42 stations, it is unclear how the party has fared in this constituency.

Amongst prominent contestants who have won are the party’s deputy convener Dr Farooq Sattar, who defeated Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Abdul Aziz Memon to win NA-249. MQM leader Nabil Gabol who won NA-246, MQM’s home turf, claims to have broken records. The jubilant leader had brought ladoos for his party’s workers. “I have received the highest number of votes from across the country. I have broken records.”

Gabol said he would raise his voice to improve the law and order situation in Karachi and push for his party’s stance on restoring the local body system in the city. He called for an electronic voting system in the next elections so that other parties could not get a chance to rig votes. He added that he would challenge the election results from the Lyari seat which he had boycotted.

MQM has also won two National Assembly seats in Hyderabad. It’s candidate for NA-219, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, won the seat as did  Syed Ghulam Shabbir, who had been awarded the party’s ticket for and NA 218.

When it comes to Sindh Assembly seats, the party has unofficially won 30 – two more seats than it did in 2008. The party even managed to win PS-1, a stronghold of PPP.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2013.

KARACHI: The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has swept National Assembly seats for Karachi, managing to secure 15 so far, Express News reported on Sunday.

Karachi has 20 NA seats, out of which elections for one were postponed because of the death a candidate, while elections for 42 polling booths of NA-250 were stopped due complaints from various political parties.

Khushbakht Shujaat is contesting from NA-250 on MQM’s ticket.

Results for NA-239, NA-258 and NA-250 are not announced as yet.

One of the first to gather the media was Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), which suffered a major setback when polling failed to start in its strongest seat – NA-250 – until well after noon. PTI Karachi president Dr Arif Alvi, who is contesting from the same constituency, accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of hijacking the elections in Karachi by beating up its polling agents and kicking them out of polling stations.

“The MQM activists were deliberately selected as polling staff so they would not turn up and create a shortage of staff,” he alleged. “Ballot boxes and stamps reached stations after three hours.”

Meanwhile, leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz also held a press conference where Ali Akbar Gujjar, the party’s contestant for PS-119, announced their boycott in the city. “I was illegally picked up by the Rangers,” he claimed.

PPP workers kidnapped

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders also came out against its former allies and accused the MQM of rigging the polls in Karachi. “It was pre-planned conspiracy due to which the election staff could not reach the polling stations on time,” said PPP Sindh general secretary Taj Haider.

Haider pointed out that their election agents were forced to leave certain stations. “The armed wing of a political party occupied most of the polling stations in Clifton, Malir Kharadar, Mithadar and Orangi Town,” he said. Haider did not hesitate to name the party either. “Everyone knows who can rig the polls in Karachi – it’s the MQM.” He clarified that the party will not boycott the polls but demanded a re-election.

Apart from the MQM, he also alleged that some men working for Arbab Ghulam Rahim kidnapped a PPP candidate in Tharparkar.

ANP to mourn for three days

The Awami National Party (ANP) Sindh announced three days of mourning over the death of its activists in the Landhi blast but appealed its activists to remain peaceful. At a press conference in Mardan House, Sindh chief Shahi Syed said that the party will not boycott the elections. “Today, when other parties will be counting their seats and celebrating, the ANP will be counting its martyrs and those who were injured,” he said, adding their activists will be unable to cast their votes when they spend their day in hospitals and graveyards.

JI goes on strike Monday

The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) called for a strike on May 13 to protest the extensive rigging across Karachi and Hyderabad. The party also announced it will boycott the elections. “All those forces who helped the MQM take over the polling stations allowed it to trample down the democratic process and dig a grave for Pakistan,” said JI chief Syed Munawar Hasan.

“Rigging is taking place at every polling station in Karachi,” said JI Karachi chief Muhammad Hussain Mahenti, adding that the hijacking began right from the beginning when the election officials and the material failed to arrive. “The presiding officers as well as most of the polling staff were activists of the MQM who were earlier infiltrated by the party in the city government and the water board.” In the evening, a large number of JI activists and leaders held a sit-in outside the election commission’s provincial office, which continued till late evening.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST), Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan also boycotted the elections in Karachi and Hyderabad. The party leaders, at a press conference, said the ECP failed to deliver free and fair elections.

After the unrest in Landhi, which is a stronghold of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement – Haqiqi (MQM-H), the party also decided to boycott the elections and support JI’s strike call. At a press conference in DHA, MQM-H chief Afaq Ahmed said that the MQM did not let our polling agents sit in polling stations held their agents hostage at gunpoint. They also handed out stamped ballot papers to our voters, he said.

MQM denies

With all fingers pointed at the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the party announced its fair share of disappointments with the electoral process and decided to boycott the NA-248 Lyari seat.

At a hurriedly called press conference on Saturday, MQM leader Nabeel Gabol announced he will boycott his constituency, claiming that the Lyari Amn “gangsters” had taken over the polling stations.

“Our polling agenda was kidnapped and the elections commission’s presiding officer was not allowed to sit,” said Gabol. Nearly 65 polling stations in Lyari were hijacked, he added. MQM provincial candidates from PS-108 and PS-109 also boycotted the elections, and said that they would all appeal to the election tribunal on Monday and demand re-polling.

Responding to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf accusations of blatant rigging in NA-250, Gabol insisted the MQM was the worst-affected on Karachi’s most prestigious constituency. “We are the most dominant party there. Those conspirators who delayed ballot boxes to the stations by three hours wanted to hurt MQM voters.”

Earlier, MQM deputy convener Farooq Sattar said that rigging was being conducted at his constituency, NA-249, along with NA-248. “The election commission should look into why the ballot boxes were delayed by over three hours in 75 per cent of the polling stations.” Sattar also demanded a re-polling in NA-250 since voting in several polling stations did not start until 3pm.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2013.