- Claims that the “kidnapping” of the candidate enabled Aseefa to win NA-207.
- The PPP maintains that PTI is trying to stir up “unwarranted controversy.”
KARACHI: The PTI declared on Sunday that it would abstain from the April 2 Senate elections in Sindh, citing the possibility of pre-election manipulation that would allow all 12 of the province’s candidates—of which the PPP has a majority—to win handily.
According to the PTI’s Sindh chapter, the leadership of the party unanimously decided to abstain from polling because they feel that the PPP and its allies are still being used as political props and are “enjoying fake mandate” following the February 8 elections.
At a press conference, PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh declared, “Senate elections are being won through rigging.” “We fielded six Sindhi candidates (in the Senate polls). Furthermore, it is a truth that we would have also won the reserved seats for women and minorities if our mandate hadn’t been stolen on February 8.
“You have already twisted the mandate of the parties in the assemblies that have to elect these senators,” he said, casting doubt on the rationale behind the Senate election. Pre-poll manipulation for the Senate elections is shown to have occurred on February 8.
The PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari was recently elected to the National Assembly without opposition from the NA-207 seat, according to PTI Sindh leaders, who described it as “just a reflection” of their concerns.
“Our candidate from NA-207 was forced to withdraw his nomination due to kidnapping,” stated PTI Sindh secretary general Ali Palh Advocate.
In such a circumstance, how can free and fair elections expected? The Sindh Assembly does not include those who were elected in accordance with Form 45. Through the falsified Form 47, the candidates supported by the PTI were forced to lose the poll. In the general elections, we gained 180 seats, but the majority of them were taken away,” he continued.
In the next Senate election, PPP is expected to win 10 seats from Sindh and one from MQM-P due to the PTI’s boycott. But it’s unclear if independent Faisal Vawda might garner enough support to win the Senate race for a general seat.
Syed Masroor Ahsan, Syed Kazim Ali Shah, Jeean Khan Sarfaraz Rajar, Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto, Dost Ali Jessar, Ashraf Ali Jatoi, Sarmad Ali, Zamir Hussain Ghumro, Poonjo, Quratul Ain Marri, and Rubina Qaimkhani are among the 11 candidates put out by the PPP. The sole candidate for MQM-P is Amir Chishti.
“Unjustified controversy”
PPP leaders said at a news conference held at Bilawal House that the PTI was trying to stir up unnecessary controversy about Aseefa’s uncontested win in NA-207.
Leaders such as Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, and others emphasized that the PTI ought to accept defeat with grace.
“Bibi Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari would have definitely received between 150,000 and 250,000 votes if by-elections had been held,” Mr. Ghani stated.
He categorically refuted the charges of abduction made by the PTI candidate in the NA-207 by-election, dismissing them as frivolous and unjustified.
He clarified that Bahawal Rind, the covering candidate, was rejected because he neglected to disclose his assets as required by law, while Sher Muhammad Rind, the PTI candidate, was rejected because of his court-declared status as an absconder in a Balochistan case.
Additionally, Mr. Ghani dismissed as erroneous Ghulam Mustafa Rind’s allegation of kidnapping prior to the elections. He claimed that because Mr. Mustafa is an independent candidate and a defaulter of Hesco, a power distribution firm, his nomination forms were denied.
