Karachi, May 14: Rejecting the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision of polling on only 43 polling stations of NA-250, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Tuesday demanded of the ECP to conduct election on all the 180 polling stations of NA-250 and its two Provincial Assembly’s constituencies (PS-112 and 113).
This was stated by Muttahida Coordination Committee’s Member and Haq Parast Senator, Syed Mustafa Kamal, while addressing a crowded press conference along with other members of the Coordination Committee – Kunwar Naveed Jamil, Raza Haroon, Ashfaq Mangi and Irshad Kamali at Khursheed Begum Secretariat, Azizabad.
Terming the ECP’s decision of holding polling on merely 43 out of total 180 polling stations of NA-250 `undemocratic’ and `unconstitutional’, the MQM Senator urged the ECP to review its decision and conduct polling on all the 180 polling stations of NA-250 and PS-112 and PS-113, or else the people reserved their constitutional, legal and democratic right.
He said that though the conspiracies against the MQM mandate was still continuing, the MQM being a peaceful and a democratic party, and the citizens of Karachi would never allow the conspirators to succeed in nefarious designs of snatching away its mandate.
Referring to sit-in being staged by a party, Mr Kamal said that if decision were accepted just by gathering people so there was no party, except for the MQM, could gather a large number of people.
Elections were held across the country on May 11, but the environment witnessed on the day gave an impression and even a child would tell that the elections were held in Karachi alone and that too in the NA-250 constituency, he said, adding that it was strange that the process of polling in all constituencies across Pakistan was depicted as peaceful whereas rigging was proved only in NA-250.
He said that as a matter of fact polling in NA-250 had not begun due to non-availability of election material and absence of election staff at polling stations and a large number of MQM voters who remained stood in long queues were not allowed to cast their votes.
On this occasion, he asked the media persons to inquire from PTI’s candidate Dr Arif Alvi that whether he had not raided the office of Election Commission, hijacked the staff present there and compelled them to hand over him the election material.
Mr Kamal said that it was beyond one’s comprehension that how the Election Commission handed over the election material to the PTI’s candidate Dr Alvi and, hence, the PT candidate be asked at which polling stations he delivered the election material and who had authorized him to act as a representative of the ECP when he himself was the candidate in the constituency.
He said that the MQM possessed the videos of such unlawful acts and if Dr Alvi failed to answer the queries then his party would disclose the facts that what had happened in the ECP’s office on the day of polling.
Senator Kamal said that as a matter of fact preparations to snatch the MQM’s mandate were made prior to May 11 and, in support of his contention, he pointed out that in the first phase, armed forces personnel were called in for the verification of voters’ lists in Karachi and the work was accomplished under their supervision. And as soon as the voters’ lists verification work was completed, the unconstitutional and unlawful delimitation of constituencies was initiated in Karachi alone in the second phase.
He expressed his surprise over the fact that although there were numerous applications for carrying the de-limitation of constituencies in other provinces of the country, no work concerning delimitation of constituencies was undertaken in any part of the country except for Karachi.
Although the MQM with a view to ensuring timely and peaceful elections accepted all such unconstitutional and undemocratic acts, its election campaign was sabotaged, bomb blasts occurred at its election offices, office-bearers, workers and sympathizers were targeted by terrorists, he regretted and added that despite all such atrocities in which even an MQM candidate was killed in a targeted attack, the Haq Parast voters and workers deserved all praise as they without caring for their lives cast their votes in favour of Haq Parast candidates and as a result of which MQM candidates got grand success in the polls.
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