MQM leaders accused the PPP of using government machinery in its campaign for the PS-114 by-election. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) – Pakistan challenged on Wednesday the PS-114 by-election result with the Election Commission of Pakistan, terming the polls ‘completely’ rigged by the Sindh-ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
MQM-Pakistan’s Kamran Tessori lost to PPP’s Senator Saeed Ghani by a margin of 5,797 votes in the by-election held on July 9 in the District East constituency, covering the areas of Mehmoodabad, Baloch Colony, Akhtar Colony and Chanesar Goth.
Tessori alleged that the PPP, being in power in the province, misused government machinery and the police by unlawfully investing them in the campaigning for its candidate and draw illegal favours for him on the polling day.
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“Many were apprehended red-handed casting bogus votes, but the bogus votes were not identified or excluded,” he maintained, adding that those people were either related to Ghani or were workers of the PPP.
According to him, the constituency has never been won by the PPP in the past two decades and, since 1998, the party has not gotten more than 3,827 votes in the by-elections. “But surprisingly this time its candidate secured 23,797 votes, which cannot be believed,” he stated.
He accused the PPP of capturing at least five polling stations - 79, 85, 86, 87 and 90 - through the police where the party candidate and his people ‘brazenly’ cast bogus votes.
Tessori also accused the ruling party of pre-poll rigging, contending that polling stations 84 to 92, which the MQM traditionally won, were manipulatively kept in disorder to prevent voters from reaching there. “The voters were flustered, harassed and were further inconvenienced.”
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The MQM-Pakistan candidate pleaded to the commission to order recounting of votes in the entire constituency, direct the National Database and Registration Authority to verify the thumb impressions and in the meantime hold the notification declaring a winning candidate.
The cost for recounting of votes and verification of thumb impression will be borne by the plaintiff. Tessori is being represented by MQM MNA Iqbal Qadri and the commission has set the first hearing of the case on Thursday (today).
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