JI demands re-poll in Karachi,Haiderabad and FATA

Lahore: The central Shoora of the Jamaat e Islami has called upon the Election Commission to nullify the polling held in Karachi, Hyderabad and FATA on May 11 because of the irrefutable evidence of rigging, and announce fresh elections there.

The JI Shoora, in a resolution adopted at its meeting said that the entire polling process in Karachi and Hyderabad had been in the hands of the MQM. The voters lists were prepared by MQM’s unit and sector heads instead of the army as directed by the Supreme Court and the delimitations of a couple of seats were altered only to show off.  The polling staff and the Presiding Officers were appointed in consultation with the MQM.

The Shoora pointed out that as many as 17 parties attending the APC called by the care taker Chief Minister, Sindh had made a written demand for election under the army’s supervision and for the posting of troops at every polling booths but this was not done under the pressure of the PPP and the MQM. On the polling day, the MQM  workers took control of all polling stations and the rangers were nowhere to be seen. Armed bandits of the MQM roamed about everywhere and the polling agents were driven out of polling stations. A number of MQM men were arrested while stamping ballot papers and their videos were also prepared but no action was taken in this regard.

The resolution said that the JI Karachi announced boycott of polls in the afternoon in order to expose the rigging and some other parties also followed suit. The Election Commission itself admitted that it had failed to hold fair and free elections in Karachi but despite that no action had been taken.

Through another resolution, the Shoora termed the US interference in Afghanistan and Pakistan as a great threat to world peace. It called upon the Pakistan government to  press Washington to stop the drone attacks immediately. It also demanded of the new rulers to stop NATO supplies and adopt bold measures in order to restore the country’s sovereignty.