Party meeting: PML-Q demands probe into rigging allegations

Will join the opposition at the Centre and in all provinces.

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), on Saturday, demanded the formation of a national commission to investigate allegations of vote rigging and address political parties’ reservations within 30 days.

At a party meeting presided over by Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain at his residence, several PML-Q leaders, ticket holders and elected parliamentarians from all over the country spoke of rigging. Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, SM Zafar and Dr Khalid Ranjha, too, addressed the meeting.

The party decided to play the role of an effective opposition at the Centre and in all provinces. Most participants were of the view that the party had suffered heavy loss in the elections because of an unpropitious alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party. The participants agreed that independent decisions should be taken in such matters and decided not to ally with the PPP in national or provincial assemblies.

They have decided to restructure the party in each province and assign important responsibilities to sincere and active party workers.

Several parties have expressed reservations over how the general elections were held. A national commission should be formed to respond to their concerns. The election commission should order recounting, re-polling and verification of fingerprints by NADRA wherever required.

“We have evidence of rigging in several constituencies that we will share with the election commission,” said Hussain. He told party leaders to remain in contact with the candidates who had lost due to rigging in their constituencies.

Elahi congratulated the successful candidates and said, “We are not disappointed by the outcome of the elections. Every political party faces trouble now and then.” The PML-Q will continue to play an active role at every level, he said. Anwar Ali Cheema and Ghias Mela had never lost in their constituencies before, he said, their victory was snatched due to rigging.

Mushahid Hussain said, “We have the courage to speak and hear the truth. Today’s gathering is proof that the PML-Q’s popularity has not diminished.” He said the party needed to learn from its mistakes and fix them.

Senator Saeed Mandokhel, Intikhab Khan Chamakni, Haleem Adil Shaikh, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Mir Hamdan Bugti, Zaheeruddin Khan, Ghias Mela, Sardar Khan Kakar, Dr Azeemuddin Lakhvi, Maluna Shabbir and Khalid Nabi also addressed the meeting. Mandokhel said that the PML-Q and Awami National Party had also been blamed for load shedding in Nawaz Sharif’s speeches.

The rigging on May 11 was reminiscent of the rigging in the 1977 elections. The PML-Q’s mandate was stolen in 2013 but the party would not lose heart. It would rather expose those who had come to power with a fake mandate, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2013.