PPP, GDA trade rigging accusations ahead of Umerkot by-polls

Rangers, cops will be at polling stations, says election commissioner

KARACHI:

As the PS-52 constituency of Sindh Assembly prepares to elect its representatives, candidates of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Grand Democratic Alliance are accusing each other of wrongly influencing electoral politics. While the PPP blames GDA candidate, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, former chief minister, for trying to incite violence, the latter has been complaining about alleged pre-poll rigging.

The by-polls in the constituency, which fell vacant after demise of PPP MPA Syed Ali Mardan Shah, are slated for January 18. The PPP candidate, Syed Ameer Ali Shah, will try to reclaim the party's seat.

"Such people have been assigned duties at polling stations who are either workers or office bearers of the PPP," alleged Rahim while speaking to the media outside the office of the returning officer in Umerkot. "We don't feel any hope for a transparent election process."

He warned that if the situation does not change for good, a law and order situation may arise. Quoting PPP Co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zardari's words, with which he used to criticise the 2013 general elections, Rahim said the PS-52 bypolls are also going to be ROs and DROs election. He accused the election officials for not hearing his complaints. Rahim claimed that at least four polling stations have been set up on the personal agricultural lands of his main opponent.

Meanwhile, PPP Umerkot General-Secretary Sufi Nawaz said that the GDA candidate has assessed his defeat in the election and that he is trying to escape from the contest.

"Rahim wants to introduce the politics of fear and threats in a peaceful city like Umerkot by bringing people from other districts here," he alleged. Nawaz blamed Rahim's henchmen for intimidating the PPP's men.

Some 153,935 voters, including 83,127 male and 70,808 female, are eligible. As many as 128 polling stations with 423 polling booths including 226 for male and 197 for female voters will be set up. The returning officer has declared 50 polling stations as very sensitive and 67 as sensitive.

The provincial election commissioner, Muhammad Anwar Chohan, while speaking to the media on Thursday said that polling arrangements have been completed. He told that the Rangers will be deployed inside and outside the polling stations besides the police. According to him, media will not be allowed to record video or audio inside the polling station though the journalists will be allowed to visit during the polling process.