Tamasha

I left my house at around 2:30 pm. On reaching the street where my polling station was located, I noticed that there were no camps of Pakistan Peoples Party or MMA. Only the MQM camps were there and only their volunteers were present and in big numbers. I reched my polling station and surprisingly there were no polling agents of any other party but MQM. A huge number of MQM’s supporters were present inside the polling station. Since my all my relatives had always been devoted MQM supporters. Every one there thought that I am definitely going to vote MQM. They laughed when I showed my Identity card. They even asked me if I would like to cast another vote. I saw a 30 plus guy showing a pink slip of paper to presiding officer and getting a ballot paper without showing any identity card.

MQM’s volunteers were not only disturbing the polling process they were even spying on the polling booths. When I went inside to stamp on the ballot paper, a twenty plus guy was watching my ballot paper. I asked him to look away and when he disappeared I stamped my ballot papers. Dropped ballot papers in ballot boxes. I sat there with other MQM volunteers (they were all guys from my neighbourhood, some were relatives, cousins, etc.) no one asked me to leave the polling station and I saw many people coming showing identity cards of their dead relatives and casting votes. Many people came showing pink papers and casting votes, many people were accompanied by councillors, naib nazims, and MQM supporters.

When I was leaving the polling station I saw a forgein election observer accompanied by a Pakistani man and a woman. I thought for a while that may be I should talk to her, but then decided that it will be such a waste of time, she must have known whats going on by now.

Its quite clear now that Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig has lost to Khushbakh Shujaat of MQM. What I don’t understand is that why MQM bothered to stage bogus votes when it was already quite clear that they would win easily?

Update: Dr. Alvi reports rigging in Gulistan-e-Johar Karachi. He noticed the same things that I have mentioned above.

I left my house at around 2:30 pm. On reaching the street where my polling station was located, I noticed that there were no camps of Pakistan Peoples Party or MMA. Only the MQM camps were there and only their volunteers were present and in big numbers. I reched my polling station and surprisingly there […]

I went to cast my vote in the by-poll election of National Assembly’s NA-250 seat. Army’s B team, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal boycotted the election blaming government of pre-poll rigging. Pakistan People’s Party’s Nafees Siddiqui had support from various parties in ARD (Alliance for Restoration of Democracy) but MMA prefered not to support him and boycott the election.

There is no doubt that MQM’s candidate Ikhlaq Hussain is going to win this selection. There were MQM workers every where in and outside polling stations they ran a huge campaign and used government resources for their campaigning. They have great media relations, they spend huge amounts on advertisements. Still, MMA’s compromise with PPP had the potential to change the entire scenario. At least in this constituency where Jamat-e-Islami always had a strong vote bank.

Pictures, please click to enlarge:

My polling station was Government college for Women, Shahra-e-liaquat. I loved the campus, I didn’t know it is so big and beautiful. The boundary wall of the college is so high that it hides not only the girls but also the beauty of the campus.

Men’s polling booth

Election comission had the list of candidates on display at every polling booth. Some dil-jala PPP worker had used a pen on this list to write “Has Already Won” with the name of MQM’s candidate Captain Ikhlaq Hussain.

The same list again

There were MQM workers every where in and outside polling stations. They were providing free shuttle services to voters. I didn’t see any PPP workers around, those who were sitting at the camps lacked the enthusiasm and energy.

This Pakistan People’s Party’s polling camp. The workers were enjoying free Biryani and there were no young people around.

MMA’s election office locked down.

I went to cast my vote in the by-poll election of National Assembly’s NA-250 seat. Army’s B team, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal boycotted the election blaming government of pre-poll rigging. Pakistan People’s Party’s Nafees Siddiqui had support from various parties in ARD (Alliance for Restoration of Democracy) but MMA prefered not to support him and boycott the […]