KARACHI, Jan 13: Unlike other major political parties, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement did not discuss the possibility of rigging in the Feb 18 general election with a delegation of European Union (EU) election observers, who held a meeting with the party leadership here on Sunday.

“We do not discuss the possibility of rigging [in the election] because we do not want to use it as a political ploy. We will speak about it only if any such thing happens to us on Feb 18,” Dr Farooq Sattar said in response to a question on Sunday. However, he hastily told reporters that there was a strong possibility of rigging if people did not exercise their right to vote in large numbers.

The EU delegation visited the MQM headquarters Nine Zero and met party leaders to discuss issues relating to the upcoming general election and the overall political and law and order situations. The four-member delegation, comprising Nora Kan Kashien, Marianna Skopa, Mindaugas Mecius and Wolf Wlagvon Shmettau, also visited different sections of the MQM headquarters and held a meeting with party leaders, Dr Farooq Sattar, Shoaib Bukhari, Faisal Subzwari and Fauzia Ejaz.

The EU observers did not face the media.

Later, briefing newsmen about the discussion of the meeting, Dr Sattar said the four election observers were part of a larger EU delegation and they would be stationed in the city for monitoring Feb 18 general election.

He said the EU election observers were informed that the MQM believed that the chief election commissioner should be an independent person and the Election Commission of Pakistan should be given a complete financial autonomy.

The MQM leader told the EU observers that there was selective democracy in Pakistan, being governed by 15,00 families. "The MQM is against the involvement of money in politics and it is one of the biggest hurdles in bringing about a change," he added.

He said the EU team was told that the MQM had fielded 125 candidates on national assembly seats and its 225 candidates were contesting election from all over the country.

Dr Sattar said discussions were also held on certain mattes, including extremism, terrorism, the tragic incident of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination and incidents of violence in its aftermath.

He said the EU delegation expressed concern over extremism and militancy flourishing in the country.

The deputy convener the of MQM coordination committee said that due to the prevailing situation there was a scare among the masses and it was up to the law enforcement agencies, political parties and the caretaker government how to motivate the people or built their confidence for ensuring their maximum participation in the Feb 18 election.

In response to a question about rigging, he appealed to all political parties to give up the tradition of allegation of rigging.

He said the EU observers were also informed that the MQM was the most organized and disciplined party, and it was the third largest party in the country.