Post-poll concerns: Candidates throw weight behind rigging allegations

QWP General Secretary Hashim Babar urges govt to hold fresh elections.

SWABI/ PESHAWAR/ UPPER DIR:

Last week’s local government elections have opened the floodgates of rigging allegations across the province.

A large number of candidates across the province have held news conferences and protests to voice their grievances. At least 16 press conferences were held at Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on Wednesday while 10 were held on Monday.

Some candidates from Swabi, Karak and Nowshera came to the provincial capital with torn ballot papers as proof of rigging.

Blame game

Speaking at a news conference at PPC, candidates from Shaheen Muslim Town in the provincial capital joined hands to accuse Awami National Party candidates of rigging the election in the area. According to a PPP candidate for a general seat in the area, ballots were sold for Rs60,000 per bundle.

“Re-elections should be held under army supervision,” he added.

Similarly, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Ayesha Gulalai accused Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl of barring women from voting in Karak. During her press conference, Gulalai said JUI-F workers spread rumours of an FC operation in the region and urged women to evacuate polling stations. Once the polling station was empty, Gulalai said, JUI-F workers stuffed ballot boxes with bogus votes.

“Polling should be declared void as women were not allowed to vote,” she said. “If PTI workers have resorted to such tactics, action should also be taken against them.”

Meanwhile, candidates from Ward-21 Nowshera accused Chief Minister Pervez Khattak of rigging the polls. Speaking at a news conference on the same day, ANP candidate for the general councillor, Abdul Akbar, said the relevant authorities were not willing to listen to their complaints against PTI workers.

Speaking to journalists in Peshawar, ANP Swabi President Amir Rahman rejected Minister of Health Shahram Tarakai’s claims that ANP was involved in rigging in Swabi.

“Through such allegations, the health minister is trying to camouflage the government’s failure in handling the situation,” he added.

Malpractice in Swabi

At least six elected councillors from Karnal Sher Kalay union council in Swabi have also alleged that the LG polls were rigged and have demanded fresh elections.



Speaking at a news conference in Swabi on Wednesday, Gul Bacha, Faizur Rahman, Laiq Hussain, Mohammad Khalid, Johar Ali and Sirajul Amin said rigging had taken place on general and peasants councillor seats. They accused the polling staff of forcibly snatching ballot papers from women.

The elected councillors demanded the May 30 elections should be declared void and a schedule for fresh elections should be chalked out.

JI’s sweep in Upper Dir

In Upper Dir, leaders of various political parties have alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami was involved in rigging in the region.

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Najamuddin Khan said staff at most polling stations were associated with JI.

“As a result, the party’s candidates were able to break its previous records,” he said. “Not only teachers and government employees posted in polling stations but police and civil administration officials also rigged the polls.”

Null and void

Qaumi Watan Party General Secretary Hashim Babar urged the provincial government to declare the local bodies’ elections void and conduct fresh elections.

In a statement issued from the QWP Secretariat, Watan Kor, Babar said mismanagement and irregularities in the polling process has compromised the government’s claims of holding free and fair elections.

“Insufficient security arrangements, election violence and the printing of extra ballot papers show that the government was not interested in holding polls in a transparent manner,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2015.