PPP jiyalas likely to be crowned in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas
Progressive results indicate that the 10-party Alliance has failed to break PPP’s vote bank.
PHOTO: FILE
HYDERABAD:
The members of the 10-party Alliance, who were confident that they would break Pakistan Peoples Party’s vote bank in Sindh, will likely have a hard time saving face from their tall claims as the progressive results broadly suggest that the jiyalas will continue to rule Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions.
Not only has PPP managed to win its earlier seats but also added more to its tally. Marred by internecine disagreements, the 10-party alliance seems to have been restricted to their traditional areas.
The two divisions have 23 National Assembly and 51 Sindh Assembly constituencies, out of which PPP had won 16 NA and 36 PS seats in 2008. According to the unofficial results of the 2013 elections, however, the party might have secured 17 NA and 38 PS seats. The results from three PS constituencies in Tharparkar, which the party hopes to win, have yet to be confirmed.
The party’s towering figures, such as Makhdoom Ameen Fahim, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Syed Navid Qamar and Dr Azra Fazal Pecheho, have retained their seats according to the unofficial results. Similarly, the candidates who made their election debut - President Asif Zardari’s foster brother Owais Muzaffar, former Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon and son of former Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazhar, Pir Majeebul Haq - have also seemingly won.
The only upset that the PPP might have to face is the defeat of its former culture minister, Sassui Palijo, on PS-85 in Thatta.
Victory predictions
The Pakistan Muslim League-Functional of the influential Arbab family of Tharparkar had voluntarily withdrawn on NA-230 Tharparkar in favour of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi but according to the unofficial figures, they will likely face defeat in NA-229 by PPP’s candidate.
The progressive results from Thar put the PPP candidates ahead of the Arbabs on three PS seats. Arbab Ghulam Rahim, however, has been declared the unofficial winner of PS-60.
Pakistan Peoples Party was also expected to confront tough opponents in at least six NA constituencies in Matiari, Dadu, Thatta, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot but it appears that it has managed to secure enough votes to be crowned as victors - with candidates of Pakistan Muslim League Functional and Nawaz trailing behind.
Accusations and conflicts
The PPP-Parlimentarians’ chairperson, Makhdoom Ameen Fahim, whose family has maintained their electoral invincibility in Matiari-based NA-218 since the 1962 polls, witnessed a neck-to-neck competition with the first-timer Razzak Memon of PML-F. Memon, who secured an unprecedented 72,266 votes against Makhdoom, leveled serious charges of allegations against the obvious winner.
“The Makhdooms cast fake votes in a large number of polling stations. The Election Commission of Pakistan should verify each vote with the help of thumb impressions,” he demanded at a press conference on Sunday.
PPP also had its share of accusation to throw around - Shazia Marri accused PML-F’s Sadaruddin Shah Rashdi of winning by unfair means in NA-235 Sanghar.
The PPP’s predicted win in many constituencies was also aided by the internal conflicts among the candidates of the 10-party alliance. In Dadu, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar and Badin, the alliance’s candidates contested against each other causing a split among the voters. A seat adjustment in Thatta between the alliance and Sherazis could also have helped secure more seats.
The PTI’s only potential candidate in the two divisions, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, appears to have won NA-230 in Thar but has probably lost Umerkot-based NA-228 to the traditional winner, Nawab Yousuf Talpur of the PPP. Talpur secured 97,967 votes while Qureshi got 84,574 votes, according to the unofficial results released till the filing of this report.
RO postpones announcing results
The returning officer of NA-229 Tharparkar, Sohail Jabbar Malik, has deferred the announcement of the election results due to incidents of rigging in the area.
“Ballot papers from 43 polling stations were stolen after the polling process ended in the constituency,” said Malik. “I have received 26 written complaints from the presiding officers and others from the candidates,” he said, adding that he had forwarded the complaints to the election commission. “It’s now up to the election commission to decide whether to announce the results or suspend them.” There was strong competition between candidates of Pakistan Peoples Party and the Arbab family in NA-229, PS-60 and PS-61, in Mithi and Diplo tehsils. A man was killed and ballot papers in six polling stations were set on fire on Saturday.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2013.
The members of the 10-party Alliance, who were confident that they would break Pakistan Peoples Party’s vote bank in Sindh, will likely have a hard time saving face from their tall claims as the progressive results broadly suggest that the jiyalas will continue to rule Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas divisions.
Not only has PPP managed to win its earlier seats but also added more to its tally. Marred by internecine disagreements, the 10-party alliance seems to have been restricted to their traditional areas.
The two divisions have 23 National Assembly and 51 Sindh Assembly constituencies, out of which PPP had won 16 NA and 36 PS seats in 2008. According to the unofficial results of the 2013 elections, however, the party might have secured 17 NA and 38 PS seats. The results from three PS constituencies in Tharparkar, which the party hopes to win, have yet to be confirmed.
The party’s towering figures, such as Makhdoom Ameen Fahim, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Syed Navid Qamar and Dr Azra Fazal Pecheho, have retained their seats according to the unofficial results. Similarly, the candidates who made their election debut - President Asif Zardari’s foster brother Owais Muzaffar, former Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon and son of former Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazhar, Pir Majeebul Haq - have also seemingly won.
The only upset that the PPP might have to face is the defeat of its former culture minister, Sassui Palijo, on PS-85 in Thatta.
Victory predictions
The Pakistan Muslim League-Functional of the influential Arbab family of Tharparkar had voluntarily withdrawn on NA-230 Tharparkar in favour of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi but according to the unofficial figures, they will likely face defeat in NA-229 by PPP’s candidate.
The progressive results from Thar put the PPP candidates ahead of the Arbabs on three PS seats. Arbab Ghulam Rahim, however, has been declared the unofficial winner of PS-60.
Pakistan Peoples Party was also expected to confront tough opponents in at least six NA constituencies in Matiari, Dadu, Thatta, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot but it appears that it has managed to secure enough votes to be crowned as victors - with candidates of Pakistan Muslim League Functional and Nawaz trailing behind.
Accusations and conflicts
The PPP-Parlimentarians’ chairperson, Makhdoom Ameen Fahim, whose family has maintained their electoral invincibility in Matiari-based NA-218 since the 1962 polls, witnessed a neck-to-neck competition with the first-timer Razzak Memon of PML-F. Memon, who secured an unprecedented 72,266 votes against Makhdoom, leveled serious charges of allegations against the obvious winner.
“The Makhdooms cast fake votes in a large number of polling stations. The Election Commission of Pakistan should verify each vote with the help of thumb impressions,” he demanded at a press conference on Sunday.
PPP also had its share of accusation to throw around - Shazia Marri accused PML-F’s Sadaruddin Shah Rashdi of winning by unfair means in NA-235 Sanghar.
The PPP’s predicted win in many constituencies was also aided by the internal conflicts among the candidates of the 10-party alliance. In Dadu, Jamshoro, Tando Allahyar and Badin, the alliance’s candidates contested against each other causing a split among the voters. A seat adjustment in Thatta between the alliance and Sherazis could also have helped secure more seats.
The PTI’s only potential candidate in the two divisions, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, appears to have won NA-230 in Thar but has probably lost Umerkot-based NA-228 to the traditional winner, Nawab Yousuf Talpur of the PPP. Talpur secured 97,967 votes while Qureshi got 84,574 votes, according to the unofficial results released till the filing of this report.
RO postpones announcing results
The returning officer of NA-229 Tharparkar, Sohail Jabbar Malik, has deferred the announcement of the election results due to incidents of rigging in the area.
“Ballot papers from 43 polling stations were stolen after the polling process ended in the constituency,” said Malik. “I have received 26 written complaints from the presiding officers and others from the candidates,” he said, adding that he had forwarded the complaints to the election commission. “It’s now up to the election commission to decide whether to announce the results or suspend them.” There was strong competition between candidates of Pakistan Peoples Party and the Arbab family in NA-229, PS-60 and PS-61, in Mithi and Diplo tehsils. A man was killed and ballot papers in six polling stations were set on fire on Saturday.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2013.