KARACHI: Accusing the provincial government of widespread rigging in the first phase of the local government elections in Sindh, three opposition parties and two former chief ministers on Monday demanded that the remaining two phases of the polls be conducted under the supervision of the army and the judiciary.

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional leader Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi, National Peoples Party’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Nadir Akmal Leghari and two disgruntled leaders of the PML-Nawaz, former CMs Syed Ghaus Ali Shah and Arbab Ghulam Rahim, met at the residence of Pir Sadruddin on Monday.

Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, they warned that a civil war could break out in Sindh if the Election Commission of Pakistan failed to deploy the army and Rangers in the second and third phase of the LG elections.

They said that the first phase was actually contested by the Sindh government which got candidates of the Pakistan Peoples Party elected.

They asked the army chief to investigate the Khirpur incident which claimed lives of 12 persons and launch an operation against “thieves, looters and terrorists” in the interior of Sindh.

They demanded that the coming round of the LG elections be conducted under the supervision of the army and the judiciary and they would announce their joint strategy if their demands were not met.

In the meeting, they reviewed mismanagement and rigging in the first phase of the LG polls by the Sindh government and the Khairpur tragedy.

Pir Sadruddin, the provincial president of the PML-F, held the Sindh government and “armed goons of a local PPP MPA” responsible for the Khairpur tragedy.

He denied any involvement of his party in the incident. “This election was not the election of people but the election of deputy commissioners and police in which PPP did not compete but by use of the Sindh government and the administrative machinery its candidates got elected.”

The PML-F leader said that Sindh had been turned into a police state.

Former CM Dr Arbab Rahim said that in the first phase of the LG elections the army and Rangers wanted to perform their duty but it should be investigated as to who had stopped them. “We demand that the army chief investigate the tragedy of Khairpur and a Karachi-like operation be launched in the interior of Sindh,” he added.

Disgruntled PML-N leader and former CM Ghaus Ali Shah said that the people would lodge a strong protest against rigging in the LG elections.

He demanded that the returning officer from the judiciary be given the task to hold the next phase of the elections.

Mr Jatoi of the NPP said that the opposition was not afraid of the PPP and it would not leave the ground open for it.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2015

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