close
Thursday March 28, 2024

Sattar warns against stealing MQM’s mandate

MQM leader terms PTI and JI allegations baseless; Jamaat says ECP not playing its role for fair polls

By Shamim Bano
April 22, 2015
Karachi
Refuting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Jamaat-e-Islami’s pre-poll rigging allegations, Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader MNA Dr Farooq Sattar warned on Tuesday that an attempt to “steal” his party’s mandate would have repercussions, especially for the government.
Addressing a press conference at the Khursheed Begum Hall, Sattar described the PTI and JI’s claims that MQM was setting up ghost polling stations and snatching of national identity cards as attempts to save face sensing their imminent defeat in the NA 246 by-polls on Thursday.
“The election commission Secretary has verified their claims and found them to be baseless,” he added.
“The two parties are only engaged in a mudslinging campaign so that they can claim after their defeat that the elections were rigged.”
Sattar demanded that the election commission should take action against the two parties for making baseless allegations.
“All demands made by the two parties have been met, then why are they still worried?” he asked.
“Actually they know that they will be too embarrassed to face the public after their defeat.”
Sattar also warned the election commission that it would be equally responsible if the mandate of the people was stolen.
He said an FIR should be lodged if somebody’s identity card was snatched.
On the occasion, MQM candidate for NA-246, Kunwar Naveed Jamil, demanded that the authorities should lift the Wednesday-to-Friday ban on pillion riding to facilitate the voters of the constituency.

Religious groups
Sunni religious leaders Maulana Asad Deobandi and Maulana Shamim announced that they were supporting the MQM in the NA-246 by-polls.
Pockets of the Memon and Ismaili communities living in Karimabad and traders also announced that they were backing the MQM.
Both the Memon and Ismaili communities held corner meetings in their respective pockets and appealed to their community members to vote for MQM.
Amin-ul-Haq, a member of the MQM central executive committee, told The News that the results of the NA-246 by-elections would prove to the beginning of the end for the PTI.
“The media and analysts have been glorifying the PTI, but we will see the start of its downfall on April 23,” he added. “Electoral politics is a different science where only hollow and counter statements don’t change the results. It needs substantial functioning and grass-root level understanding.”
Haq said elections could not be won with the help of “unseen” forces, and required ground work and mass force that the PTI lacked.
He pointed out that the PTI and JI had not even asked for independent observers i.e. FAFEN for the polls

‘ECP not playing its role’
JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said the Election Commission of Pakistan had not taken the steps required to ensure that the by-polls were held in a fair and transparent manner.
“The ECP is appears to be biased and likely favour the MQM in the by-polls,” he added.
Rehman was speaking at press conference at the party’s central election camp in Naseerabad.
JI candidate for NA-246 Rashid Naseem, Central district chief Munim Zafar Khan and information secretary Zahid Askari were also present on the occasion.
Rehman said Farooq Sattar’s statement wherein he had demanded doing away with the condition of voters presenting their original identity cards during polling had exposed the MQM’s rigging plan.
The JI leader demanded that the authorities concerned should install biometric systems at polling stations to verify voters and also check their original identity cards.
“The JI its campaign for the by-polls has organised two massive public gatherings, staged rallies and also met the constituents in a door-to-drive,” he said.
“We received an overwhelming response from the masses and that shows that the people of Karachi want change,” he added.
JI candidate Naseem appealed to the constituents to vote for the “tarazu” (weigh scale), jis party’s election symbol, for a prosperous and secure future.
He vowed that the JI would resolve the Moosa Colony residents’ issue of identity card renewal and also make efforts to complete the K-4 water scheme.