PPP to challenge Tharparkar by-poll: Khuhro

21 Aug, 2004

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has decided to challenge by-election in NA-229 Tharparkar-I and cancel membership and offices of all those PPP leaders and workers who supported PML candidate Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz.
This was announced by Sindh PPP president and opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro while addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club on Friday.
Nisar Khuhro alleged of "historical rigging" during by-election in NA-229 and termed it a black day in the history of Pakistan.
"Threats were given to people and PPP supporters prior to by-election and conspiracies were hatched by Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim to get Shaukat Aziz elected unopposed," he charged, adding that but PPP foiled these bids.
He further charged that Nawab Wasan and others were detained in Mirpurkhas a day before by-election while MPA Sassi Palejo and others were stopped from travelling to Mithi from Badin.
According to him, in rural areas of Thar, 90 percent votes were cast at 70 polling stations, and when MPA Sassi Palejo tried to check National identity cards of some voters to prevent rigging, she was expelled from polling station and detained till the end of polling process.
On the occasion, he presented some "proofs" of fake votes cast in favour of Shaukat Aziz and criticised Arbab Ghulam Rahim for imposing an "anti-Sindh" person on Thar.
Speaking on the occasion, Syed Qaim Ali Shah claimed that Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim was afraid of PPP's popularity among masses that's why he stopped PPP legislators from entering into Tharparkar.
Contradicting the Chief Minister's claim that the NA-299 was his ancestral seat, he said in 1993 general elections, he sought the PPP ticket for contesting election from that constituency.
Makhdoom Jamiluz Zaman on the occasion said that whole Tharparkar was handed over to police and rangers who humiliated MPAs and MNAs of PPP at various places.
MPA Sassi Palejo alleged that Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim violated human rights during by-election just to appease "his masters" and further charged that when she objected on a woman, who was casting vote on a male's identity card, she was thrown out of the polling station.

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