Balochistan parties decry electoral fraud

Demonstrations held in Dera Allahyar, Dera Murad Jamali and other districts.

QUETTA:

Protests broke out across Balochistan on Monday against alleged poll rigging on May 11 with different political parties demanding a re-election in various constituencies.

Demonstrations surfaced in Dera Allahyar, Dera Murad Jamali, Quetta, Duki, Loralai, Killa Abdullah and other districts by political parties.

A rally led by Molvi Hanif of JUI-Ideological gathered outside the Quetta Press Club where protesters carried placards and banners.

They chanted slogans against the alleged rigging in Killa Abdullah and Chaman polling stations, saying that the poll results should be declared null and void and new elections should be held.

The JUI-I gathering was joined by one led by Balochistan National Party-N’s Dr Jahanzaib Jamaldini. Protestors decried the rigging and tampering of results in PB-4, PB- 5, and in polling stations across Awaran, Nushki and Khuzdar.

They demanded that a re-election should be held.

“The worst rigging in history” was carried out in PB-28 of Dera Murad Jamali, said former provincial president of the PPP Sadiq Umrani. Polling stations of Feleji Kanri and Tahir Kot were targeted by explosives, killing three PPP workers.

Violence near polling stations had forced many voters to keep at bay while armed men roamed in the polling stations the all day, trying to influence voters and tamper with results, said Umrani.

Similarly, protests were staged by a large number of people against alleged rigging at PB-266 Jaffarabad, Naseerabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2013.