Political parties cry foul over irregularities in vote count

 

KARACHI: The political parties raised serious reservations on Wednesday over the  credibility of the polling process in the General Election 2018.

First to object was the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, whose leader and former federal minister for information Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that at some of the polling stations, polling agents were taken out of the stations and rigging took place.

"Engineered results of the polling are being released, which the PML-N rejects," she said.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that if the mandate of the PML-N is 'stolen', it will not be acceptable to the party's voters. 

MQM-P, PSP also raise concerns

The Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan have raised questions over the credibility of vote counting process, alleging that their polling agents have been thrown out and are not being handed over the final certified results.

The PSP's central leader, Raza Haroon, in an unscheduled media talk, alleged that the party's polling agents have been told by the officials to collect the results from returning officers.

"We have not seen whatever is happening. In the past we have seen such referendums not election," the PSP leader sarcastically remarked. "Its the right of polling agents to receive election results."

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the arch-rival of the PSP, raised the same concerns in a media talk called on an emergency notice.

"The MQM-P’s representatives were thrown out from NA-249’s Salahuddin school polling station 89, and from a polling station in Gulzar-e-Hijri Metroville," alleged party's senior leader Faisal Subzwari.

“We reserve the right to protest if we are not handed over final results of the polling stations from the election commission staffers,” he added. 

PPP also expresses reservations over polling process

The Pakistan People’s Party also expressed reservations over the polling process.

PPP leaders Raza Rabbani and Sherry Rehman summoned emergency press conference in Karachi.

“There seems to be a clear trend of interference in the polling process,” said Rehman.

Raza Rabbani claimed that in the polling stations in Karachi’s Lyari, the PPP polling agents were expelled after the voting time ended.

The ECP and caretaker government failed to ensure the transparency of the elections, said Rabbani.

“There will be severe consequences if public opinion was tempered with,” said the former chairman Senate.