Peoples Party all set to form third consecutive government in Sindh

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is all set to secure the third consecutive term in government in Sindh where it is likely to secure at least 74 out of a total of 130 general seats of the provincial assembly in the July 25 general elections.

According to unofficial results, PPP candidates had either won or secured a comfortable lead in 74 Sindh Assembly constituencies. The total tally of the party’s seats could increase with more results pouring in.

A political party securing at least 68 constituencies can easily form the provincial government in Sindh for the next five years. Besides, 130 general seats, there are 29 seats reserved for women and nine for legislators belonging to religious minorities. All these reserved seats are filled through nominations made by the winning political parties on the basis of their shares in the general seats of the provincial legislature.

The unofficial tally of results shows that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf could secure over 20 seats in new the Sindh Assembly, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement could win up to 12 seats, the Grand Democratic Alliance could bag 11 seats, the Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) two seats, and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal may secure one seat each.

The election in one Karachi constituency has been postponed due to the death of the TLP candidate there. The complete results of nine constituencies of the Sindh Assembly were yet to be received till Thursday evening. After getting its proportionate share of seats reserved for women and minorities, the PPP would be all set to form the next provincial government.

The anti-PPP Grand Democratic Alliance, which comprises various groups and political parties, including the nationalist entities, has failed to throw up any major electoral upset in Sindh that could weaken the chances of the PPP to form the next government. The PPP is seemingly emerging victorious in almost all the constituencies where it had won the polls in the May 11, 2013, general elections.

PPP demonstration

Though the PPP is all set to form the next government in Sindh, a large number of its leaders and activists protested outside Karachi Press Club on Thursday evening against alleged rigging in polls, especially in Karachi.

The participants vociferously shouted slogans against elements which allegedly rigged the elections in the province. They said they were seriously upset about the undue delay in the announcement of the election results of NA-246 in Karachi, where PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari contested the polls but lost. They also protested against the PPP’s loss in polls in both the provincial assembly constituencies that fall in Lyari.

PPP leaders Sherry Rehman, who is opposition leader in the Senate, and Senator Raza Rabbani had earlier addressed a press conference at the party’s media cell to voice serious concerns over alleged incidents of rigging and malpractices during the polls and the late compilation of results of the elections in Lyari and other constituencies of Sindh, especially Larkana where Bilawal Bhutto also contested the poll.

Speaking at the press conference, the PPP leaders said the election process and the compilation of the results in both the constituencies, NA-246 in Lyari and NA-200 in Larkana, had been made controversial to give undue benefit to the rival candidates there.

They said that the compilation of the results of the elections in NA-246 completely lacked transparency and fairness as the PPP polling agents in the area had been denied the opportunity to witness the process of the counting of votes at various polling stations. The chief polling agent of the PPP in Lyari was also roughed up by unruly elements after the polls, they added.

They said that there had been an undue delay of 22 hours in the announcement of the results of NA-246, causing serious reservations regarding the entire process of the general elections. They said the Election Commission of Pakistan had not been taking any required action to make the process of the compilation and the announcement of election results transparent to the satisfaction of all candidates.

The PPP leaders also addressed an emergency press conference to air similar serious reservations regarding the compilation and announcement of the election results late on Wednesday night.