Hafiz Naeem forfeits MPA seat over alleged rigging

Jamaat-i-Islami Ameer Karachi Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has forfeited PS-129, a Sindh Assembly seat, over alleged rigging.

The JI Chief made this announcement in a presser on Monday, where he claimed that his votes were allegedly decreased by the Election Commission of Pakistan in the Form 47.

“I give up this seat,” said Rehman. “Independent candidate Saif Bari won in a genuine manner, whose votes were reduced to 11,000 from 31,000.”

Hafiz Naeem said that votes for Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) were inflated from 6,000 to 20,000.

JI leader won from PS-129 (Karachi Central VIII) with 26,296 votes. PTI-backed independent candidate Saif Bari had gathered 11,357, according to the ECP’s Form 47.

“We don’t want a seat in charity. We want our right,” he said. “We knew that the heart of Karachi beat with the JI.”

“Even if they have erased us, they can’t erase us from people’s hearts. We will fight for the people, democratically, hold peaceful demonstrations.”

He called for making the election results in Karachi null and void and for holding the exercise afresh. Calling on the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice, he asked, “Chief justice sahib, where do the people go?”

“What is this fraud being done with the nation? If you wanted to give handwritten results then what was the point of holding elections?” he asked.