"The party will negotiate with other parties for forming election alliances but the final decision would be taken by party chief Pir Pagara," PML-F Sindh Chapter Secretary-General,
Imtiaz Shaikh. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
The Pakistan Muslim League - Functional (PML-F) has demanded that the judiciary hold the local government elections on account of gerrymandering in the appointment of deputy commissioners (DCs) and district returning officers (DROs).
PML-F Sindh chapter secretary-general, Imtiaz Shaikh, while addressing the media said, “These DCs and their assistants are political appointees. Free and fair election cannot be held under their supervision,” he said rejecting the appointments’ decision.
“The DCs are involved in pre-poll rigging and have brought drastic changes in the constituencies to “appease” the ruling, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP),” he alleged. “They are kith and kin of PPP leaders, how can they play a neutral roll in the election process,” Shaikh questioned, adding that judges should be appointed as DROs.
The PML-F leader further stressed that his party would approach Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and brief him how PML-F and PML-N dominated areas were being ‘converted’ into minority areas through fresh delimitation of union councils in Sindh. “We appeal to the chief election commissioner to take notice of this injustice,” he added.
Responding to a question about the party’s possible merger in the elections, the secretary-general said, “The party will negotiate with different political parties for forming election alliances but the final decision would be taken by party chief Pir Pagara.”
Expressing pessimism over the situation in Karachi, Shaikh admitted that the peace cannot be maintained under the current rule of PPP. “The so-called caption of the Karachi operation- chief minister- is not even capable of handling the Lyari situation, how would he bring peace across Sindh,” he asked.
Govt’s response
The minister for parliamentary affairs Dr Sikandar Mandhro clarified that the decision to appoint DCs and DROs was made following the directives issued by the acting chief election commissioner. “The chief election commissioner asked the government to propose nominations for DC and their assistants for the posts,” he said, adding that they gave their proposals accordingly.
The provincial election commissioner SM Tariq Qadri said they have nothing to do with the appointments and have only issued notifications. “As per rules the provincial government recommends us the names of DROs, ROs and assistant ROs and we merely issue notifications,” he clarified.
Cabinet meeting
The Sindh government has decided to convene a cabinet meeting within next 48 hours to fix the final date for upcoming local government polls. The provincial government of the ruling PPP have already expressed concern over the new date - January 18 - which has been suggested by the election commission. The government has asked for the polls to be held in either March or April.
“The meeting will review the delimitation process and will recommend the election commissioner to hold the LG polls in light of the unanimous resolution passed by the assembly a few days ago,” one of the cabinet members told The Express Tribune.
Earlier, the election commission on the directives of Supreme Court had given the deadline of November 27 for the polls but later it extended the date to January 18 after receiving a strong reaction from political parties in the province. The new deadline has also not been accepted by the parliamentary parties that are asking for an extension till March next year.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2013.
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