Allegations, counter-allegations: Makhdooms fear losing their hold as opponents gain leverage in elections
Political leaders contend the locals are unhappy with the Makhdooms due to their apathy.
HYDERABAD:
The May 2013 elections were perhaps the first when the influential Makhdoom family of Hala, Matiari district, felt threatened by their opponents. The seven-time MNA-elect, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) chairperson Makhdoom Amin Fahim, alleges that his opponent managed to gain such a large number of votes through rigging, with help from former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. His opponent, Haji Abdul Razzak Memon, contends otherwise.
Speaking in a television programme on Sunday, Fahim voiced his allegations against the former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, suggesting that Chaudhry connived in the electoral fraud in his constituency. “The chief justice came to Matiari, which is a small city, and spent three hours with the returning officer while we were kept waiting in court,” said the MNA. “Never before have my opponents bagged so many votes in my constituency.”
Since 1965, the Makhdoom family has always won the NA constituency in Matiari which was numbered NA-218 in the 2002 elections. His father, Makhdoom Talibul Moula, was also elected thrice, till 1977.
Fahim secured 102,059 votes in 2002 out of the total votes cast at 113,224 with a 41 per cent turnout, and 97,717 in 2008 out of 138,012 with a 39.5 per cent turnout. However, the turnout increased to 62.85 per cent in the 2013 elections with his opponent, Haji Abdul Razzak Memon, securing 72,423 votes. Though Fahim himself maintained the average, getting 95,724 votes, his opponent’s voting success and subsequent challenge of the election results in the election tribunal formed the basis of his contention about rigging.
Ironically, Memon claims that while Fahim alleges that rigging took place, he himself is ‘trying to find an escape from the tribunal proceeding.’
“The tribunal ordered vote verification in 135 out of 263 polling stations, earlier this year. I also paid the fee which, was around Rs935,000, but Fahim challenged the tribunal’s order in the Sindh High Court,” Memon told The Express Tribune.
Memon, who was also the PPP’s naib nazim of Matiari, alleges that it was Fahim and his supporters who violated the election protocol. “During the past several decades of absolute representation of our district, the family lost support of even its staunchest supporters.”
He referred to the Memon Ittehad, an alliance of influential members of the Memon community which was formed in September 2012, and a number of former PPP stalwarts, besides other political parties, who campaigned for him.
Memon fought the elections on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional. The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, Sindhi nationalists, Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (F) and other religious parties canvassed for his candidature. Many senior PPP leaders such as Ali Ahmed Nizamani, a veteran politician working with the PPP since 1970, also openly supported Memon.
“The Makhdooms’ general apathy towards the people has dismayed many communities. There was large scale rebellion against them in the elections last year,” he told The Express Tribune. He refuted the allegation that he helped his way through rigging, arguing that had this been the case, he would not have petitioned in the tribunal.
Fahim could not be contacted for his version. According to Memon, the tribunal is expected to pass an order during the upcoming hearing on September 6. “The petition would have been disposed of by now, had Fahim not challenged it in the SHC and secured a stay.”
The SHC, however, vacated all the stays in its May 30, 2014, order and set the deadline of June 23, after which the tribunals’ proceedings in Sindh will not be hampered by the stays.
According to the regional election commissioner, Attaur Rehman, the tribunal has disposed of 70 percent of the cases despite delays caused by the SHC stays and lawyers of the defendants. Around 36 petitions were filed in Hyderabad Election Tribunal, out of which 22 have been disposed of, while two were referred to other tribunals over jurisdiction issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2014.
The May 2013 elections were perhaps the first when the influential Makhdoom family of Hala, Matiari district, felt threatened by their opponents. The seven-time MNA-elect, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) chairperson Makhdoom Amin Fahim, alleges that his opponent managed to gain such a large number of votes through rigging, with help from former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. His opponent, Haji Abdul Razzak Memon, contends otherwise.
Speaking in a television programme on Sunday, Fahim voiced his allegations against the former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, suggesting that Chaudhry connived in the electoral fraud in his constituency. “The chief justice came to Matiari, which is a small city, and spent three hours with the returning officer while we were kept waiting in court,” said the MNA. “Never before have my opponents bagged so many votes in my constituency.”
Since 1965, the Makhdoom family has always won the NA constituency in Matiari which was numbered NA-218 in the 2002 elections. His father, Makhdoom Talibul Moula, was also elected thrice, till 1977.
Fahim secured 102,059 votes in 2002 out of the total votes cast at 113,224 with a 41 per cent turnout, and 97,717 in 2008 out of 138,012 with a 39.5 per cent turnout. However, the turnout increased to 62.85 per cent in the 2013 elections with his opponent, Haji Abdul Razzak Memon, securing 72,423 votes. Though Fahim himself maintained the average, getting 95,724 votes, his opponent’s voting success and subsequent challenge of the election results in the election tribunal formed the basis of his contention about rigging.
Ironically, Memon claims that while Fahim alleges that rigging took place, he himself is ‘trying to find an escape from the tribunal proceeding.’
“The tribunal ordered vote verification in 135 out of 263 polling stations, earlier this year. I also paid the fee which, was around Rs935,000, but Fahim challenged the tribunal’s order in the Sindh High Court,” Memon told The Express Tribune.
Memon, who was also the PPP’s naib nazim of Matiari, alleges that it was Fahim and his supporters who violated the election protocol. “During the past several decades of absolute representation of our district, the family lost support of even its staunchest supporters.”
He referred to the Memon Ittehad, an alliance of influential members of the Memon community which was formed in September 2012, and a number of former PPP stalwarts, besides other political parties, who campaigned for him.
Memon fought the elections on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional. The Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz, Sindhi nationalists, Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (F) and other religious parties canvassed for his candidature. Many senior PPP leaders such as Ali Ahmed Nizamani, a veteran politician working with the PPP since 1970, also openly supported Memon.
“The Makhdooms’ general apathy towards the people has dismayed many communities. There was large scale rebellion against them in the elections last year,” he told The Express Tribune. He refuted the allegation that he helped his way through rigging, arguing that had this been the case, he would not have petitioned in the tribunal.
Fahim could not be contacted for his version. According to Memon, the tribunal is expected to pass an order during the upcoming hearing on September 6. “The petition would have been disposed of by now, had Fahim not challenged it in the SHC and secured a stay.”
The SHC, however, vacated all the stays in its May 30, 2014, order and set the deadline of June 23, after which the tribunals’ proceedings in Sindh will not be hampered by the stays.
According to the regional election commissioner, Attaur Rehman, the tribunal has disposed of 70 percent of the cases despite delays caused by the SHC stays and lawyers of the defendants. Around 36 petitions were filed in Hyderabad Election Tribunal, out of which 22 have been disposed of, while two were referred to other tribunals over jurisdiction issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2014.