Haq Parast candidate for PS-128, Waqar Husain Shah, said here on Friday that efforts to snatch the MQM mandate were still continuing.
He was, however, optimistic that Muttahida’s candidate, despite acts of rigging and hooliganism on the part of his opponents in his constituency, would emerge victorious in the elections.
He was speaking at a press conference along with MQM Coordination Committee Members Amin-ul-Haq, Yousuf Shahwani, Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui and Adil Khan at Khursheed Begum Secretariat, Azizabad.
Mr Shah said that the MQM candidate had a clear cut lead in the PS128 in the May 11 polls, the election commission had got the polling process stopped in six polling stations following a bomb blast that had occurred near the Awami National Party’s office although the polling stations were one kilometer away from the scene of the blast.
He said that the MQM, however, took part in the re-polling held at six polling stations of the constituency on Friday despite the fact that ‘our female polling agents were harassed and threatened of dire consequences.
Accusing the opponents of manhandling female polling agents and snatching their CNICs and polling material, the Haq Parast candidate regretted that no adequate measures to check such incidents of hooliganism were in sight although the law-enforcement personnel were present at those polling stations.
He expressed his gratitude to the female polling stations for performing their duties courageously.
The candidate alleged that he himself was made hostage by around 200 to 250 hooligans at Dawood Challi when he was heading towards a polling station in his car to supply food to polling agents and he was freed only after some law-enforcement personnel intervened into the matter.
At the outset, he reiterated that Haq Parasts would continue to serve masses in accordance with the philosophy of MQM chief Altaf Hussain.
Speaking on the occasion, MQM Coordination Committee Member, Amin-ul-Haq, said that the process of targeting MQM that had begun on the eve of May 11 general elections continued even today and the motive behind the move was snatch the Muttahida’s mandate.
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