After big win in 14 districts, PPP eyes Karachi, Hyderabad

Opposition parties say Sindh govt helped PPP candidates rig elections

HYDRABAD:

The Pakistan Peoples Party seems to be leading the political opponents following the unofficial results of the first phase of the local government elections in 14 districts of Nawabshah, Mirpurkahs, Sukkur and Larkana divisions which are made public.

The PPP's co-chairman and former president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari on Monday congratulated the winning candidates and jiyalas for the party's victory in the LG polls.

He also asked jiyalas to get ready for the second phase of the LG polls in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions next month. However, the leaders of Grand Democratic Alliance, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, JUI-Fazl and other parties and local alliances have blamed the ruling party in the province for rigging the polls with the help of the government servants.

The PPP's candidates have reportedly won from 17 of the 20 union committees of Larkana Municipal Corporation. The remaining UCs have been secured by the contestants from the Grand Democratic Alliance. The final results of 47 union councils in the district council Larkana are still awaited.

The PPP has also won the two municipal committees in Ratodero and Naudero and four town committees, according to the unofficial results.

"The PPP has rigged the elections. We demand that the Election Commission of Pakistan should conduct the polls again," demanded Dr Safdar Ali Abbass, general secretary of GDA and convener of Larkana Awami Ittehad, at a press conference in Larkana. JUI-F Sindh's general secretary Molana Rashid Khalid Mehmood Soomro and MPA Moazam Ali Abbassi were present on the occasion.

According to them, the employees of the Sindh government became tools of rigging for the PPP. "We have been pointing out since last month that the ECP is taking us to the polls without proper preparation and that the entire electoral process has been given in the hands of the Sindh government's employees," said Abbassi.

They also claimed that the election results of their candidates are being changed to give victory to the PPP.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2022.