JI, MQM decry delay in polling, but for different reasons

Karachi
A subdued Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and an antagonistic Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) both complained of unnecessary delays in beginning polling at a number of polling stations and also lodged formal complaints with Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza Khan.
However, the MQM complained against behaviour and “delaying tactics” of the Rangers personnel, the JI unleashed a barrel of accusations at the former for harassing its workers and putting pressure on its activists.

Deterred voters
The MQM candidate, Kunwar Naveed Jameel, who was also stopped by Rangers personnel from entering a polling station in the constituency, wrote a letter to the ECP outlining the complaints of voters and asking for a three-hour extension in the polling time.
He claimed that polling began late at polling stations 59 to 63 at APWA College and 112 to 115 in Comprehensive School.
He attributed the delay to Rangers personnel and polling staff taking their sweet time in checking identity cards and verifying details of MQM voters, while giving the supporters of other parties an advantage of time.
Jameel claimed that only a single voter was being allowed to enter a polling station which had more several booths for voting.
He said in his letter that the ECP had taken unprecedented measures for the controversial by-election. He said his party had accepted all the conditions, including the deployment of Rangers and the installation of CCTV cameras with an open mind, however, it had been unfair on part of the administration to impose a ban on pillion riding.
He said this step had discouraged voters from leaving home and casting their vote. He said it felt like the ECP was not an independent body carrying out a by-election but strings were being pulled from somewhere else.
Pressurising opponents
Meanwhile, the JI in its letter to the ECP complained of rigging at several polling stations and alleged that MQM workers were brandishing ECP cards to put pressure on presiding officers.
The letter stated that polling began late at Royal School, APWA Girls College, KDA School, and Maulana Altaf Hussain Hali School. It was alleged that presiding officers were being threatened in polling stations 179, 194, 195, 195 and 197, situated in Riaz Girls College in Liaquatabad.
The JI also claimed that presiding officers did not check the CNICs of women voters at polling stations 112,113,114,119,120,122,124 and 125 located at Campri School as the while MQM workers disturbed secret balloting, which was a violation of the ECP code. Similar problems were also observed at polling stations 89 and 90 at Aga Khan School in FB Area, 11, 12, 13 and 14 at KDA School and 161 and 162 in Sirajud Daulah College where, the JI alleged, MQM workers were present in large numbers and disturbed and affected the electoral process.
Other locations identified similar at polling stations 198,199 and 200 at Salman Ibrahim School, 119, 120, 121, 122 and 123 situated inside Comprehensive School, besides polling stations 1 and 2 of Ideal School.

‘No rigging’ at all
Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui claimed that there were no reports of rigging from across the NA-246 on Thursday.