KARACHI, Feb 21: The Pakistan People’s Party on Thursday demanded a repoll on four national and six provincial assembly seats in the city, and rejected Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s allegations of vote rigging and use of strong-arm tactics by the PPP in the Feb 18 polls.
This position was taken by Karachi chapter PPP president Rashid Rabbani at a news conference he held with Rafiq Engineer and other PPP leaders.
Mr Rabbani alleged the MQM had resorted to massive rigging, ballot fixing and use of strong-arm tactics against PPP representatives and polling agents in the NA-241, 249, 250 and 253, and PS-92, 110, 111, 112, 126 and 127 constituencies.
He claimed that his party did not believe in terrorist activities and rejected the allegations levelled by MQM Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar at a news conference on Wednesday night.
He said the PPP had shown restraint despite provocation by its opponents because it wanted peace in the city and the province which, he added, was in the interest of everyone. He said he considered Dr Farooq Sattar a moderate person but what he said at the news conference was disappointing, especially when PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari had expressed the desire to form a coalition government with the MQM.
Mr Rabbani rejected Farooq Sattar’s allegations that the PPP used the “mafia” to rig the elections through violent means. On the contrary, he said the PPP had been striving to establish peace and did not resort to violence.
He also condemned the firing incident in Marwari Lane in which a 10-year-old girl was killed, and alleged that many of PPP candidates’ polling agents were kidnapped and were still missing.
Rafiq Engineer, general secretary of the PPP’s local chapter, accused the MQM of harassing PPP’s polling agents and supporters to subvert election results.
Mr Engineer urged the “moderate forces” in the MQM and other political parties and groups to help maintain peace. He said that Nadra had all the data of voters and one could tally the fingerprints on the counter foil of ballot papers with Nadra’s record.
He said the PPP did not believe in ethnicity and wanted to serve the people without any discrimination for a lasting peace and development in the province and the country.
MQM charges
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has called on the PPP leadership to take notice of the violent incident targeting MQM workers and to expel anti-social elements from its ranks.
Speaking at a late night press conference at the party’s headquarters, MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar said if the current situations persisted, it would harm everyone, including the PPP.
He evaded all questions relating to the MQM’s plan to hold negotiations with the PPP to form the next government.
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