PPP MNA lashes out at party after nephew loses
Party had complained to the election commissioner about Zafar Ali Shah in Nov.
SUKKUR:
The independent candidate for PS-21 by-elections may be sad over his defeat, but his uncle, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA, is so upset that he has gone public with his displeasure over his own party.
PPP MNA Syed Zafar Ali Shah’s nephew, Syed Zohaib Ali Shah contested the by-elections in Naushero Feroz on Tuesday, but he lost, after securing only 8,489 votes. His uncle, Zafar, told The Express Tribune that Zohaib lost because the ruling party rigged the elections. The fact that Zafar belongs to the same party he accused of rigging did not seem to change his stance.
The elections in this constituency were held because PPP MPA Dr Ahmed Ali Shah had to resign for possessing dual nationality. Zafar said that President Asif Ali Zardari’s sister, MNA Faryal Talpur, paid a visit to the constituency on the day of the election. He also accused her coordinator, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar of giving Rs10,000 each to the residents to buy their support.
Nobody bothered to implement the orders of the chief election commissioner, said Zafar, adding that the commissioner ordered Rangers personnel to carry the election material to and from the polling station but these orders were ignored. Several PPP ministers, MNAs and senators were present at the polling station and were supervising the stamping of ballot papers by their men. According to Zafar, the PPP candidate, who won the election, was enjoying full support from the ruling party, while his rival, National Peoples Party (NPP) candidate was also getting his party’s support. Zafar regretted that no one was supporting his nephew. Despite the use of government machinery to tilt votes into their favour, the PPP candidate only received 32, 687 votes, “while my nephew received 8,489 votes without any support,” Zafar boasted. “This means that ethically we are winners.”
Zafar’s accusations were brushed aside by PPP officials, who insisted they were present at polling stations to support their candidates and not to rig the votes. “I have won the elections due to my party’s support,” said the winning candidate, Sarfaraz Shah. He said that this was the first time that rigging was carried out against the candidate of the ruling party. The elections were held in a free and fair manner, he said.
Meanwhile, NPP leader Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi was not available for comments.
On November 5, the PPP had lodged a complaint with the election commission against Zafar for accusing the party of helping their candidate in his election campaign. Federal minister Maula Bux Chandio had even asked Zafar to resign.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2012.
The independent candidate for PS-21 by-elections may be sad over his defeat, but his uncle, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA, is so upset that he has gone public with his displeasure over his own party.
PPP MNA Syed Zafar Ali Shah’s nephew, Syed Zohaib Ali Shah contested the by-elections in Naushero Feroz on Tuesday, but he lost, after securing only 8,489 votes. His uncle, Zafar, told The Express Tribune that Zohaib lost because the ruling party rigged the elections. The fact that Zafar belongs to the same party he accused of rigging did not seem to change his stance.
The elections in this constituency were held because PPP MPA Dr Ahmed Ali Shah had to resign for possessing dual nationality. Zafar said that President Asif Ali Zardari’s sister, MNA Faryal Talpur, paid a visit to the constituency on the day of the election. He also accused her coordinator, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar of giving Rs10,000 each to the residents to buy their support.
Nobody bothered to implement the orders of the chief election commissioner, said Zafar, adding that the commissioner ordered Rangers personnel to carry the election material to and from the polling station but these orders were ignored. Several PPP ministers, MNAs and senators were present at the polling station and were supervising the stamping of ballot papers by their men. According to Zafar, the PPP candidate, who won the election, was enjoying full support from the ruling party, while his rival, National Peoples Party (NPP) candidate was also getting his party’s support. Zafar regretted that no one was supporting his nephew. Despite the use of government machinery to tilt votes into their favour, the PPP candidate only received 32, 687 votes, “while my nephew received 8,489 votes without any support,” Zafar boasted. “This means that ethically we are winners.”
Zafar’s accusations were brushed aside by PPP officials, who insisted they were present at polling stations to support their candidates and not to rig the votes. “I have won the elections due to my party’s support,” said the winning candidate, Sarfaraz Shah. He said that this was the first time that rigging was carried out against the candidate of the ruling party. The elections were held in a free and fair manner, he said.
Meanwhile, NPP leader Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi was not available for comments.
On November 5, the PPP had lodged a complaint with the election commission against Zafar for accusing the party of helping their candidate in his election campaign. Federal minister Maula Bux Chandio had even asked Zafar to resign.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2012.