MQM challenges PPP’s PS-127 win in SHC

Muttahida candidate Waseem Ahmed alleges by-election was rigged at 51 polling stations; CM denies rigging charges; Sattar says his party will not collect hides of sacrificial animals this Eid

Karachi

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement approached the Sindh High Court on Saturday to challenge the Pakistan People’s Party’s victory in the PS-127 Malir by-election.

MQM candidate Waseem Ahmed submitted in his plea that election was rigged at 51 polling stations.

He requested that PPP candidate Ghulam Murtaza Baloch’s victory should not be notified until the Election Commission of Pakistan reached a decision on the matter of rigging.

The PPP candidate had secured the seat PS-127 on Thursday with incidents of violence reported during polling and nine people also detained in this connection.

The seat had fallen vacant after MQM MPA Ashfaq Mangi had resigned and joined the Pak Sarzameen Party.

CM denies charges

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah rebutted the MQM’s allegations of rigging. In fact, he added, no rigging could take place this time in the PS-127 election. 

He was talking to reporters after a T20 match played between the chief minister and the provincial sports minister’s teams on Friday night. The chief minister’s team won by three wickets.

The match, which was held to pay tribute to late philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi and the soldiers of the Pakistan Army who laid down their lives for the country, was played between Edhi Green (led by the chief minister) and Edhi White (led by the sports minister).

Edhi White set a target of 140 runs, which was successfully chased by Edhi Green in the last over of the match, at a loss of seven wickets. Former Test cricket captain Sadiq Muhammad presented a trophy to the winning team.

On Saturday, former Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah said on Saturday that the Pakistan People’s Party had emerged victorious in the recently held by-poll in the constituency PS-127 on basis of the provincial government’s performance.

Shah was talking to reporters in Clifton after attending the funeral prayer of Muzaffar Hussain Syed, father of PPP MPA Owais Muzaffar.

The former chief minister said the Sindh government had been serving the masses basis for the last eight years. He said the PPP would once again emerge victorious in forthcoming general polls in the country in year 2018.

He said the by-election in the PS-127 was held in a transparent manner and political opponents should accept their defeat in the poll.

Earlier, the funeral prayer and burial of the PPP MPA’s father took place in the courtyard of the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Clifton.

‘MQM not to collect hides’

MQM leader Farooq Sattar announced on Saturday that the party would not collect hides of sacrificial animals this Eid-ul-Azha.

Speaking at a press conference, Sattar said the MQM had been facing false accusations of forcibly collecting hides for years.

“Last year, the party was not allowed to collect hides on Eid-ul-Azha as well as Zakat and Fitra during Ramazan this year,” he added.

Sattar strictly directed the MQM and its charity wing Khidmat-e-Khalq Foundation’s workers to not collect hides.  He said the party was reorganising the KKF and the MQM.

Sattar urged citizens to donate the hides to the Edhi Trust, SIUT, Indus Hospital, Saylani Trust, Jafria Disaster Cell and Chippa.

He asked philanthropists to adopt the Nazir Hussain University, the KKF and families of martyrs.

He demanded that MQM leader and Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar should be released on parole and the return of 25 missing MQM also be ensured before Eid.

KMC helpline

The city government has designated spaces in every locality where offal of sacrificial animals will be disposed of.

Workers are busy digging several feet deep trenches where animal offal will be disposed of.

Officials claim that this Eid the city will stay cleaner than last year.

A helpline 1339 has been launched by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

KMC Service Director Masood Alam said citizens could call the helpline to register their complaints.

Municipal workers will continue performing their duties as KMC has not allowed them any days off for Eid.  All senior officers will also conduct emergency visits in the city.