Daily Times

LARKANA: The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s (MMA) leader Rashid Mahmood Soomro, who fought for NA-200 in the recent general elections, said on Friday that his mandate was stolen by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on July 25 by favouring another political party.

Reportedly, he addressed a large public gathering at Jinnah Bagh roundabout after carrying out rally from Dodai road.

The protesters chanted slogans against the ‘engineered’ results.

Soomro said that the general public of Sindh had spent last ten years in extreme poverty and miserable condition.

He expressed his gratitude to his voters who came out of their homes to cast their votes.

“Some anti-democratic elements were scared as they did not want us to serve the masses,” he said, adding that his opponents were unable to carry out a door-by-door election campaign because they feared the wrath of the general public.

Later, he warned that his party could enlarge the scope of protests against the ECP’s failure and mismanagement.

He demanded the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) to order re-elections across the country.

Besides, Maulana Nasir Mahmood Soomro, Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Chano and others also addressed the rally.

GDA demands resignation from chief election commissioner

On the other hand, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) leaders Dr Safdar Abbasi and Moazim Ali Abbasi, the MPA-elect for PS-11, have also rejected election results, and demanded a resignation from the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) over his failure to conduct free, fair and transparent elections.

Dr Safdar said that PPP has been eliminated from KP, Punjab and Balochistan.

Later, the GDA carried out a rally which culminated at Jinnah Bagh roundabout.

Dr Safdar said that the GDA candidate for PS-13, Adil Altaf Unar, won by 1,600 votes, but 4,600 votes were double stamped. He said that an application was sent to the ECP for recounting votes in Unar’s constituency, but was rejected.

Published in Daily Times, August 4^th 2018.