ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the results of the local government (LG) elections held in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to declare the results null and void and announce fresh polls.

Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, PTI’s secretary general Asad Umar accused the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the ruling party in Sindh, of stealing the public mandate in the LG polls held in Karachi by use of force, coercion and intimidation which, he said, the PTI would never accept.

Hours after Mr Umar’s presser, Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) released its report based on the polling day observation, declaring that the polling in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions remained peaceful and relatively orderly, but the polls were tainted by allegations of rigging by major political parties over delay in the announcement of results.

Mr Umar said video clips, posted on social media, showed election staff stamping ballot papers. He said a PTI member Amjad Afridi through a video had explained as to how 1,000 votes were brought to a polling station. Later, he said, instead of taking action against those involved in rigging, the authorities arrested Amjad Afridi and “tortured” him. Similarly, he said, another PTI member was also arrested and tortured when he exposed rigging in Manghopir area of Karachi. Those who came out to protest over the alleged rigging were also arrested after registration of cases against them, he added.

Fafen says polls tainted by delay in result announcement

The PTI’s secretary general alleged that a “helpless” ECP had miserably failed to conduct free, fair and transparent elections. He said a dangerous game was being played in Karachi as every effort was being made to push the metropolis against the wall. He pointed out that even the Jamaat-i-Islami had rejected the results. He was of the view that the residents of Karachi were being deprived of their basic rights through a proper planning. He claimed that despite passage of 48 hours, the results were not announced in many constituencies, adding that the district returning officers (DROs) had admitted that the government was pressurising them.

Fafen Report

According to Fafen, the controversies over the quality of electoral processes do not augur well, particularly when the political parties are preparing for general elections that are constitutionally due by October 11.

“Many of these controversies stem from weaknesses in the legislative framework that governs elections, which need to be rectified through wide-ranging negotiations among all political actors coming together for electoral reforms irrespective of their political differences,” says Fafen, adding: “unless elections lead to political stability, the process of democratisation will continue to weaken and so will the public trust in democracy and its ability to improve the social and economic well-being of the people”.

The ECP, it said, needed to open up to political actors and address their legitimate concerns through the regulatory space available to it under the Elections Act, 2017, to ensure truly “inclusive” elections, minimising the eventualities of poll boycotts by major political parties in future.

Despite controversies and uncertainty over the conduct of elections, it said, an impressive number of people voted in LG elections in Badin, Jamshoro, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Thatta and Malir districts. However, the voters’ turnout remained relatively lower in Karachi, Hyderabad and Kemari districts. The turnout in Hyderabad division remained more than 40 per cent, while in Karachi it was less than 20 per cent with the exception of Malir. The turnout in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions remained at 36 and 58pc, respectively, in the last local government elections held in 2015.

The voting process remained orderly, unlike the previous phase when instances of overcrowding at polling stations led to untoward situations. The legal and procedural irregularities and inadequacies concerning campaigning and canvassing inside and around the polling stations and the ballot issuance process observed during the first phase persisted during the second phase as well.

The election day environment was largely peaceful as Fafen received only 14 reports of verbal altercations as compared to 55 incidents of violence, including some physical and armed clashes during the first phase.

Although the provisional results of the Karachi Division were publicly available within two days amid allegations of manipulation and rigging, the consolidated results of the districts in Hyderabad Division are still awaited. The ECP had reserved four days from the polling day for consolidation of the election results in its original notification for the second phase.

Fafen observers noted omissions and inadequacies in the polling station result forms [Form-XI (Statement of the Count)] recurring during the second phase.

Joint press conference

Meanwhile, addressing a joint press conference, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid and former finance minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Taimur Jhagra lashed out at the Centre, alleging that it was not providing funds to GB making it difficult for the GB government to pay salaries to employees.

Mr Jhagra said country was facing severe financial crunch as only $4 billion were lying in the exchequer. Besides this, he said, there was shortage of wheat in the province.

Amir Wasim also contributed this report

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2023