Ballot boxes were found in Streets |
The evidence in shape of videos and interview of some of the polling stations
staff who were arrested and who confessed to their crime, is now available with
‘The News’ and gives graphic details of what happened that day.
But what is surprising is
that all those, who were arrested and interviewed, were, according to one
agency, handed over to the police, but the police say they do not have any
record and do not have these persons. So they are always missing, in a way.
In these recorded
interviews a presiding officer stated on camera in the presence of top Law
enforcement agencies (LEAs) officials, while giving an interview to media
persons (an interview which was never aired): “I was ordered that the MQM
should not only win but it must be given a lead of at least 200 to 250 votes on
his polling station.”
In some cases, the LEAs
apprehended the criminals red-handed along with ballot papers, stamps and then
also arrested the polling staff. All of them then made statements on camera, in
presence of top police and Rangers officials and explained what was happening
in the entire city of Karachi on the evening of May 11.
MQM's Faisal Sabzwari denies such allegations |
Presiding officers are
shown making statements in presence of top officials of police, Rangers and
Army within the polling station, during the polling or the counting process
during some raids.
Top MQM leader Faisal
Sabzwari termed these videos and evidence showing how the MQM rigged whole
election process on May 11 as a part of the campaign underway to marginalise
the Muttahida.
He said that all such
videos are fake and as a matter of fact the MQM faced worst rigging on the
polling day. He said even in his constituency in Sohrab Goth and in some other
areas armed men belonging to the PML-N and PTI attacked MQM polling agents and
didn’t allow them to function.
Sabzwari said the PTI
tried its best to rig the elections but the MQM finally won. He said massive
rigging was carried out by the PTI in NA-250. He said that polling was delayed
there for this purpose.
He said such attempt of
leaking videos is shameful as the MQM won May 11 polls through a landslide
victory. He said that this fact was proved on by-polling day when elections
were carried out in presence of the Army inside and outside the polling station
when the MQM again swept the elections.
Other MQM sources say this
is all a concocted conspiracy against the party and there are no such videos or
arrests on record. The party is expected to deny the whole story vociferously.
But since many Army, Rangers
and police officials are also present during these interviews, any
investigating authority, the Supreme Court, the ECP, FIA or any one, can ask
these officers about the veracity of these tapes.Sources said these tapes and
confessions may also be uploaded on the facebook and Internet soon.
In some instances,
presiding officers reveal that Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) had won from
their polling station but MQM activists who raided the polling stations ordered
counting of votes by excluding ballot papers bearing stamps on symbol of the
PTI.
Not only this, according
to this official video evidence, ballot paper books were forcibly taken from
almost all the polling stations of the city and later stamped ballot papers on
the MQM election symbol “kite” were put into ballot boxes.
Loose Ballot papers |
Only in a few cases, the
Rangers and Army raided along with police and arrested MQM activists who unearthed
the whole game plan.It is, however, disturbing that neither any forceful action
was immediately taken by the LEAs against the party nor the evidence was shared
with the ECP, the Supreme Court or public.
There has been a demand by
many political parties for thumb impression verification in all National
Assembly and provincial assembly constituencies of Karachi. The PTI was also
demanding thumb impression verification in four constituencies. However, this
demand was being linked to process of hearing of election appeals in the
Election Tribunals. Top legal and constitutional experts, however, disagree
with this stance.
Videos present in official
custody show MQM activists narrating the whole system under which the election
process was rigged. Orders were coming from Nine-Zero to sectors, then to units
and then units were forwarding the same orders in form of letters containing
details of polling stations, polling staff and their contact numbers to
election cells made in “blocks” and “circles” of the MQM.
One Salman Sami, data
control officer in KESC (son of a journalist Muhammad Sami, ex-employee of KESC
and presently chief reporter of one daily Anjam, Karachi) having a bachelor
degree, resident of Tariq Road, Block-II, PECHS, working for the MQM for two
and a half years in Unit-60 and sector “society” of the organisation was also
arrested. He is a committee member in the unit and in-charge of his circle.
There was only one polling station in his Circle-1 called PECHS Foundation.
Translation of his
statement before LEAs is: “I was working in my circle on polling day and
received a call from Umar Raza who called me to Union Club polling station
situated in Circle-2 where one Adnan and some others were also present with
Umar and were speaking to presiding officer outside the polling room. Later,
the presiding officer went inside the polling station. After some time Umar
asked me to go inside the polling station and ask the presiding officer to come
out. I went but he refused to come out. After some time, Umar again asked me to
do the same. This time when I went inside, the presiding officer in a fright
gave me two ballot paper books, one green and another white and two stamps in a
cloth sac. I took the books from him and came out. Then we all came to a plot
owned by one Imran Rezzi with all this.”On being inquired, Salman Sami stated
that this plot is adjacent to the residence of “Wassim Akhtar Bhai”.
Snap shot of vote casted by PPP's sanitor Syed Raza Abidi |
“After reaching there, I
went from there to attend my own polling station in Circle-1. After half an
hour, I again received call from Umar who asked me to again reach in Circle-2.
After reaching there, the place was raided by you. We have to stamp on symbol
of the MQM, “Kite”, have to sign some papers and then to put all these stamped
ballot papers in the ballot boxes in concerned polling station,” Salman Sami
stated.
One Adnan Hassan s/o Abid
Hassan, education under matric, working with the MQM at “small level” also made
similar statement and admitted stamping symbol of “Kite” on ballot papers just
before his arrest on the evening of May 11, 2013.
One Muhammad Umar (Umar
Raza) s/o Muhammad Ibrahim, resident of Gulbahar, graduate, working for the MQM
since 2008 was also arrested. He joined MQM’s Unit-189 but later came to
Unit-60. He is a committee member and also caretaker head of election cell for
Unit-60.
He said that units were
receiving all instruction from sector. Umar stated: “Sector orders unit and
unit orders to blocks and circles. Mustijaab Bhai is in-charge of “sector”
Society. We had taken books of ballot papers from Adil Farooqi. Farooqi
initially refused, then said please stamp ballot papers book within the
boundary of polling station but we requested him to give us and we will return
later after stamping as there was rush there.”
“Sector gave us
information about polling stations and staff working there. We were given
letter by the our sector containing details of polling stations and staff
appointed there along with the contact details of the staff. The letter given
to me by my sector in-charge Mustijaab Bhai contained names of Aminur Rehman
(PECHS Girls College), Khursheed (PECHS school), Abbas (PECHS Girls College)
and Adil Farooqi. When we contacted polling staff before polling they had
replied that giving ballot paper books would be difficult but they will fully
help within polling station,” Umar said.There are many other videos giving
details of other areas and units and how the MQM activists controlled the whole
polling process to get a landslide victory in Karachi on May 11, 2013.