Muttahida, JI cast doubts over transparency of second phase of LG polls.

KARACHI -- The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamaat-i-Islami were found in agreement over incidents of rigging during the polling for the first phase of the local government elections in Sindh, showing dissatisfaction over the performance of the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) and accusing the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of using its authority to influence the electoral process, violating the code of conduct and 'gerrymandering'.

In their separate reactions, the two parties called it a failure of the ECP to maintain its writ and doubted over its capacity and 'intentions' to hold the second phase of the LG polls scheduled to be held on July 24 in major urban centres of the province in a free, fair and impartial manner.

They also demanded that the ECP and 'institutions' take notice of 'grave violations' of electoral rules before it's too late.

Warning from Muttahida

Senior MQM-P leader and former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar went a step forward and warned that any 'attempt to rig Karachi elections and steal the due mandate of the winning parties' would lead to bad consequences and his party 'will not let it happen'.

Wasim Akhtar accuses PPP of violating agreement; Hafiz Naeem sceptical of ECP's neutrality

'I am sorry to say this but it's a fact that the PPP has violated the terms of deal it has agreed with us and even Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari are witness to that agreement,' Mr Akhtar told a press conference at the party's temporary headquarters in Bahadurabad.

'I humbly request the PPP that we should sit together to settle the issue. Let us take it up this delimitation issue with the approval of Election Commission and settle it before the Karachi and Hyderabad [local government] elections. I don't want to provoke the people of Karachi and Hyderabad but everyone knows what's going on and how our mandate in urban Sindh is being stolen. If...