The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday 'condemned' the allegations leveled by the senior leadership of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) regarding foul play in the by-election held in Sindh Assembly's constituency PS-11, Larkana II, which the ruling party in Sindh lost to Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).
"A strange trend has been started whereby whosever wins the elections says the election is fair and the one who loses it tends to accuse the ECP of lack of transparency. This is a completely wrong tradition," the ECP said in a strong-worded rejoinder to the allegations leveled by PPP leaders that the by-election in Larkana, held a day earlier on Thursday, was not free and fair.
"The ECP is a constitutional institution which holds absolutely free, fair and impartial elections in accordance with the law and the Constitution," the ECP statement said after PPP leader Taj Haider wrote a letter to the ECP alleging foul play in Larkana by-election. Senior PPP leader Saeed Ghani also alleged that the Larkana by-election was marked with rigging and he rejected the by-election result. In addition, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday 'vowed' to challenge the bye-election result 'at every forum.'
In what brought huge embarrassment for the ruling PPP in Sindh, GDA's Moazzam Ali Khan Abbasi once again secured the PS-11 Larkana II provincial assembly seat by defeating PPP's Jamil Soomro. Unofficial results suggested that Abbasi bagged 31,557 votes compared to Soomro's 26,021 votes.
Earlier on Wednesday, the ECP rejected the concerns of PPP over the deployment of Pakistan Army and Rangers inside the polling stations during the Larkana by-election, declaring that the said deployment is completely in accordance with the law to ensure free and fair elections.
The ECP said it is its constitutional responsibility to hold elections in accordance with the Article 218 of the Constitution of Pakistan and take all the necessary steps for ensuring not only free, fair and impartial elections but also to create an environment for the voters to vote freely.
The commission further said it granted Pakistan Army and Rangers Class 1 magistracy powers as per Section 193 of Election Act 2017, to maintain law and order during the by-election so as to allow the voters to exercise their right to franchise independently.
Last month, the ECP announced by-election on PS-11 Larkana II after the Supreme Court disqualified Moazzam Ali Khan from the provincial assembly seat for failing to declare his assets on a petition moved by PPP's Nida Khuhro. Khan was elected member provincial assembly (MPA) from the said seat in the July 2018 general elections on the ticket of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) after defeating Nida Khuhro, the daughter of President PPP Sindh PPP Nisar Khuhro.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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