PPP candidates accused of seizing ballot papers in Elections 2024

Syed Mustafa Kamal, Senior Deputy Convenor of MQM, accused Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) candidates of seizing ballot papers after voting for the general elections in 2024.

According to Mustafa Kamal, PPP candidates attempted to seize ballot papers from a returning officer at the Expo Centre. He held an emergency press conference at the Central Election Office Pakistan House.

MQM deputy convenor Mustafa accused PPP candidates Asif Khan of NA-235 and Hakim Ali Jaskani of PS-102 of seizing ballot papers. He claimed that a video showed Asif Ali Khan and Hakim Ali Jaskani, accompanied by 20 to 30 armed men, attempting to steal the ballot paper.

Mustafa also alleged that Asif and Hakim, with armed men, beat the returning officer (RO) at the Expo Center. During the violent incident, Sindh police authorities were quite spectators.

He further demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of it. He stated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) wants to take over Karachi. In this regard, the Election Commission of Pakistan and other institutions should prevent the election from becoming controversial.

It should be noted on the day of the election, another incident of snatching ballot papers and ballot boxes from the presiding officer in NA-232 also happened. This incident took place in the Korangi district of Karachi.

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Meanwhile, the Chief Election Commissioner of Sindh has taken notice and called for a report. In NA-232 Korangi, presiding officer Abdul Wajid Qureshi said that the offenders snatched two national and two provincial assembly boxes. When police arrived, they fled while leaving the box of ballot papers.

On the other hand, a presiding officer and voting materials were robbed inside a polling station in Saudabad district, Karachi. According to police, armed robbers broke into the voting station at Pakistan Public School in Saudabad. They stole valuable voting material and three ballot boxes from the presiding officer.

Inspector General of Sindh Police (IGP) Riffat Mukhtar urged all police officials to maintain high alert earlier on Feb 8. They increased patrolling measures ahead of the general elections on Feb 8. Despite this, the snatched ballot paper incidents happened at multiple locations in Karachi.