UMERKOT: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidates on one national and three provincial assemblies clean swept the Umerkot district, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi lost against Nawab Muhammad Yusuf Talpur of PPP.

However, defeated candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) Qasim Siraj Soomro, independent candidate Dr Dost Muhammad Memon and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate on reserved seats Lal Malhi have alleged massive rigging on the part of PPP candidates and influencing the District Returning Officer, Returning Officer and other polling staff.

Shutters of the shops in all the bazaars of Umerkot were forcibly shut by the youths of PML-F.

According to results shared by DRO, Nawab Muhammad Yusuf Talpur of PPP on NA-228 defeated spiritual leader of Ghosia clan and vice president of PTI Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Talpur secured 97967 votes and his opponent could gain 84574 votes out of total registered votes 295065.

It is pertinent to mention here that 90459 votes of Umerkot district were shifted to district Mirpurkhas and Sanghar during delimitation 1998.

In PS-68, Nawab Taimur Talpur of PPP, who is son of Nawab Muhammad Yusuf Talpur, defeated an independent candidate supported by Ghosia and Hur clans of functional league. He secured 41254 and his opponent could secure 25591 votes.

In PS-69, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, a fresh candidate fielded by PPP, secured 34675 votes and his opponent Faquir Jadam Mangrio of PML-F secured 30712.

In PS-70, Syed Ali Mardan Shah of PPP secured 43704 and his opponent Qasim Siraj Soomro secured 40633 votes. These results are without counting of government employees’ ballot papers.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference at Sindh House Umerkot, PML-F and PTI leaders termed the polls rigged and demanded re-election in the district.  Youths of PML-F forcibly got the shutters shut in the Umerkot town, resultantly all the bazzars and shopping centres of the district remained shut.

Qasim Siraj Soomro said the concerned polling staff was threatened to not take notice of the rigging. He said they were being gun fired at Chandiram polling station and their agents were abducted.

Soomro said bogus votes were cast in Kaplore and Khosa Mohla. However, despite of repeated complaints no one cooperated with them. He alleged that polling continued till late night at Daro Kolhi polling station.

He said that rigging is evident from the fact that at some polling station 100 per cent votes were cast and their ballot papers were thrown in the streets, which remained uncounted.

He questioned why presiding officers did not inform the authorities concerned regarding missing of ballot papers, adding that his opponents might have arranged fake ballot papers to replace original one.

PTI candidate Lal Malhi produced some 40 stamped ballot papers and demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take notice and announce re-election in Umerkot district.

Dr Dost Muhammad Memon, independent candidate in PS-68, alleged that around 10,000 fake ballot papers were used by his opponents.

On the other hand, PPP candidates Syed Ali Mardan Shah and Nawab Muhammad Yusuf Talpur told Dawn.com that candidates of functional league are provoking the voters to create law and order situation.

They ruled out the allegations of rigging or influencing the poll staff, adding that candidates of the functional league arranged these ballot papers themselves to create a ground against them.

It is pertinent to mention here that some mobile SMS were circulated in the district reporting that DRO and RO have been arrested by Army and Rangers upon confessions of being bribed.

Another circulated mobile message urged the youths of Hur and Ghosia clans to gather outside the court building to launch protests.