Political parties protest against irregularity in vote counting

Multiple political parties have claimed that their polling agents were not allowed inside some polling stations during the counting process and are not being provided with Form 45.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Leader Faisal Sabzwari has claimed that the district returning officers (DROs) and presiding officers (POs) in three constituencies of Karachi and two constituencies of Hyderabad are refusing to give Form 45 to his party's agents.

He complained about constituencies of NA 253, NA 256, NA 226, NA 227 and NA 239. “Officials have thrown out our Polling agents from Different polling stations of NA 243 & NA 249,” he said in a tweet.

Former federal minister for information and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that the party has severe reservations about what transpired during the voting process at polling stations in General Election 2018.

The PML-N leader was addressing media, where she alleged that at some of the polling stations, polling agents were taken out of the stations and rigging took place.

She further claimed that form 45 was being withheld from the PML-N. "if rigged results are not being prepared behind locked rooms then form 45 should be given to us," said Marriyum.

Activist Jibran Nasir, contesting from NA-247, has also spoken against the rigging. He tweeted that counting hasn’t even started at GBSS Zamzama.”

He further said that when asked, the polling officer retaliated by shouting, “You can go home if you want!”

The activist further claimed, “Our polling agents were sent back without official form 45 from at least 6 polling stations and were forced out from one Station in Gizri. This is making mockery of the Voters!”

PPP and PSP have also claimed that their polling agents were not allowed inside some polling stations during the counting process and are not being provided with Form 45.

PPP’s Maula Bux Chandio claimed that his party’s agents were not allowed inside polling stations in Badin while PSP leader Raza Haroon mad the same claim about polling stations in different parts of Karachi.

According to the law, agents of all political parties must be provided Form-45, which contains the final count of the polling stations.

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced to call an All Parties Conference (APC) soon over the allegedly ‘rigged’ results in General Election 2018.

In a statement, Fazlur Rehman said that ‘the rigged results are unacceptable’ to the alliance.

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