JI Karachi seeks resignation of election official over by-election fraud claims

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi has demanded the resignation of an Election Commission official, alleging fraudulent practices in the recent local council by-elections that favored the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The accusation follows a contentious electoral process where the PPP secured a significant number of seats under suspicious circumstances, according to JI Karachi.

Munim Zafar Khan, Ameer of JI Karachi, raised concerns over voter registration inconsistencies in Liaquatabad’s UC-7, where 9,727 voters were registered in a block that has only a population of 1,178. Khan suggested this discrepancy indicates manipulation of the voter rolls intended to benefit the PPP. He strongly condemned the alleged imposition of “fake people” through these “fake practices” on the residents of Karachi.

“The want to impose fake people over Karachiites with fake practices,” Khan stated, adding, “We will contest the election results in courts.” He emphasized the party’s demand for the issuance of results based on Form-11, which he claimed would reflect the true outcome of the vote.

Further compounding the controversy, Khan revealed that the JI has initiated legal action by filing a petition against the results of the Model Town UC-7 by-election. He noted that the party possesses copies of Forms 11 and 12 for all 10 contested seats, which will be utilized in their legal challenges to overturn the results.

The protests intensified on November 16, when JI staged a significant demonstration on main Sharea Faisal, decrying the alleged rigging in the by-elections held a day earlier. The by-polls, aimed to fill 10 vacant seats of union committee chairmen, vice-chairmen, and councillors, saw the PPP emerge victorious in eight seats, including one in Liaquatabad Town previously held by the JI. The JI secured only two seats and has vocally disputed the outcomes.

During the protest near the Nursery bus stop, Khan vehemently criticized the PPP, the Election Commission of Pakistan, and law enforcement agencies for manipulating the electoral results. He declared, “Karachiites had voted overwhelmingly for the JI but the PPP continued its legacy of electoral terrorism using all unfair means to convert its defeat into victory.”

Khan also accused the PPP of engaging in “fascism, mandate theft, and undemocratic means,” alleging that Forms 11, 12, and 13 were tampered with by corrupt officials to fabricate a PPP victory. He claimed that such continuous electoral misconduct has severely undermined public trust in the electoral process, describing it as a dangerous trend.

Highlighting specific instances, Khan pointed to the previous elections in UC 7 of Model Town, where JI had dominated, contrasting sharply with the recent by-poll outcomes that dramatically favored the PPP. He detailed the suspicious delay in announcing results and the subsequent alteration of vote counts to the detriment of JI.

In response to these alleged discrepancies and the overarching claims of fraud, Khan warned of expanding protests and continued legal battles unless the election results are rectified to reflect the genuine will of the people.