Arbab summons jirga organizers.

Pakistan, June 9 2006: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has taken notice of a jirga held in the Haji Kamal Magsi village near Thull on May 27 which gave hands of five girls in marriage to resolve a karo-kari dispute between two groups of the Banglani tribe and summoned Ameens of the jirga and other people concerned to Karachi on Monday.

People?s Party Parliamentarians MNA Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, one of Ameens, confirmed that he had been asked on telephone to meet the chief minister on Monday. The others who have been summoned include Thull Taluka Nazim Ghulam Akbar Banglani, Pir of Bharchoondi Mian Abdul Khaliq, Qamar Din Banglani, Habibullah, Azizullah and Yar Ali Banglani.

It is learnt that the chief minister has also constituted a committee comprising politicians and elders of different tribes to investigate the matter and report to him by Sunday. Officials at the Chief Minister?s House have directed DPOs and DCOs of Kashmore, Jacobabad and Ghotki to inform people concerned to attend the meeting with the chief minister. Mr Bijarani said there was no harm in meeting the CM and he would discuss the matter with his friends before leaving for Karachi.

The Thull taluka nazim, however, said he had not received any such information. According to sources, the two groups of the Banglani tribe had been at odds over a karo-kari dispute for five years, which had started over the killing of Mian Dad Banglani. The jirga to resolve the dispute was held in the Haji Kamal Magsi village, which was presided over jointly by Mian Abdul Khaliq, Mr Bijarani and the taluka nazim. The two groups, led by Hafiz Qamar Din Banglani, and Yar Ali Banglani and Ahmad Nandwani, were also present.

The jirga fined the group of Yar Ali Banglani and Ahmad Nindwani Rs700,000 and asked it to give hands of four girls in marriage to the Qamar Din group. The Qamar Din group was fined Rs135,000 and asked to give the hand of one girl in marriage to the opponent group. Mian Dad Banglani, who was killed on the pretext of karo-kari, was the younger brother of Qamar Din.

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PPP faces yet another split.
Staff reporter.

Pakistan:Former premier Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party could be set for another wave of defections from its ranks as the establishment tries to unite dissidents under the banner of a united party.

Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, PPP member of the National Assembly, is openly campaigning to quit the ranks of the party's parliamentary group, while several other key leaders have pledged their support to the government.

Another defector is Syed Naveed Qamar former chairman privatisation Commission, Fauzia Wahab, a lawmaker elected from Karachi on the women's seat and Nayyar Bari from Punjab, sources said.

"There are several others whose loyalties are doubtful," a PPP official said. The change of heart among some key PPP members has come after the government began moves to merge the two dissident factions of the PPP led by Aftab Sherpao , Rao Sikandar and Faisal Saleh Hayat under the banner of the PPP.

The dissident groups, are fighting over the leadership claim with both Aftab Ahmed Sherpao and Rao Sikander wanting to head the party. Sikander leads the PPP Patriots, with 21 members. Sherpao has two members in the National Assembly. Sherpao's group is more organised at the grass roots level in NWFP.

Sources say that the establishment has also tried hard to win over Nabeel Gabol, an MNA from PPP's Karachi stronghold of Layari. So far he has stuck to his guns despite his serious reservations with the party over joining hands with the MMA and PML-N.

"His association with the Bhutto family goes back to his grandfather's time," a PPP source said. "He is not likely to quit the Bhuttos despite his differences."

Insiders say that the members from Bhutto's Parliamentarian Group, are under pressure to quit her. The Swiss Court conviction of Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari for receiving kickbacks have jolted them. Many do not see a role for the PPP leader for a while.

Sources say the government is aiming for a two-third majority in the parliament. It has already united the five factions of the PML. Also, the government is hoping defections within the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.

Bhutto, who has already written a memo to her party members forbidding them from meeting government officials without her consent, has to perform a high-wire act to save the flagging fortunes of her party.

"It is a make or break phase of her political career, " a loyalist said, who complained that instructions were conveyed through the "unpopular" Naheed Khan.

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Vanni: call to save girls.

Pakistan, June 8: The Asr Resource Centre has appealed to the president, prime minister and chief justice of Pakistan to save four minor girls of Jacobabad proposed to be married to rivals? men under vanni custom on the decision of two jirgas (local court).

Asr spokesman Sajid Ali said in a statement jirgas headed by MNA Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Thul Taluka Nazim Ghulam Akbar Banglani had decided to give hands of girls of two to six years of age and payment of Rs400,000 as compensation to the families of the murdered people in Hafiz Qamaruddin Banglani and Kamal Magsi villages under vani. The decisions were a serious violation of human rights and law of the land as the girls had been punished without committing any crime.

He said the decisions taken by the jirgas were a challenge to the government and the judiciary, the MNA and Nazim had no right to be called as public representatives. ?The government should take notice of the unlawful and inhuman decision, disqualify them and impose a ban on the jirgas which were being instrumental in continuation of customs of vanni and karo kari.?

?Reporter
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MNA Bijarani booked for using unfair means.
By our correspondent
SUKKUR: A case was registered against MNA Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and 156 others with "A" section police station Kandhkot on Friday night on charges of using unfair means during the LB elections and snatching ballot papers. Reports said "A" section police Kandhkot have registered a case against 157 persons, including Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, former district Nazim Kandhkot Mir Shabbir Ali Bijarani, unopposed elected UC Nazims Sajjad Ali Bijarani, Mumtaz Ali Bijarani, Saeed Ahmed Bachkani, Inayat Hussain, Mumtaz, Aijaz Dahani, Fauj Ali Dahani, Azizullah Bijarani, Ghulam Akbar, Abdul Jalil Bijarani and others, on alleged charges of using unfair means during the LB polls and snatching ballot papers. When contacted, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani said the SHO "A" section police station brought the ballot papers of polling station Iqbal Bijarani of UC Karampur and was stamping those at his residence, and the people caught him red-handed, but police instead of taking action against the SHO and presiding officer, has registered a case against him and his supporters.

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Bijarani?s conquer Jacobabad.
Pakistan: The ADP, led by former federal ministers Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Mir Imran Khan Bijarani has captured four Nazim seats of Taluka Kandhkot, Kashmore, Jacobabad and Garhi Khairo against the one seat in Thul which was captured by Awami Ittehad, led by Sardar Muqim Khan Khoso.

The main fight between Sardar Muqim Khan Khoso of Awami Ittehad and Shabbir Bijarani, son of Mir Hazar Bijarani, remained undecided for the district Nazim of Jacobabad as both can not achieve 51 per cent votes. Political pundits believe that the extent of success in Jacobabad is down to the truce between both of the bijaranis, who were daggers drawn in the past.

There will be run-off election now on the Nazims seat of Jacobabad. The election authorities said the election will be held on Aug 8. According to the unofficial result, Shabbir Ali Bijarani captured 695 votes while Sardar Muqim Khan Khoso obtained 673 votes. Awam Dost Panel candidate Haji Abdul Rauf Khoso and Zahid Chachar elected Nazim and Naib Nazim for Kashmor Taluka, they captured 143 votes while their rival Asghar Panhwer and Liaquat Lashari of the Awami Ittehad has taken 116 votes.

In Kandhkot Taluka, Mir Imran Khan Bijarani of the Awam Dost Panel got elected Nazim by securing 210 votes and his rival Mir Tahir Hussain Khoso of the Awami Ittehad captured only 160 votes. In Jacobabad Taluka, Sardar Mumtaz Jakhrani and Munir Pathan of the Awam Dost Panel declared successful as Nazim and Naib Nazim by securing 143 votes, while Awam Dost Panel candidate got only 16 votes.

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PPPP Turncoats Extraordianaire.
By Irfan Ali

Pakistan:The Pakistan People?s Party Parliamentarians is fearing another jolt to its unity following widespread speculations that at least two MPAs and three MNAs in Sindh will join the forward bloc.

However, PPPP denies such reports. Party?s Sindh president Nisar Khuhro told Daily Times that the party was intact and there was no threat to its unity as far as Sindh was concerned.

But rumours had it that MPAs Jam Saifullah Dharejo and Jam Mehtab Dahar, MNAs Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Ejaz Jakhrani and Qurban Ali Shah were joining the forward bloc any moment.

In case these three MNAs join the renegades? camp headed by Faisal Saleh Hayat of Jhang, the number of dissident MNAs from Sindh will go up to four as Sardar Khalid Lund from Ghotki has already joined the forward bloc.

Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, PPP leader who was elected from Jacobabad as MNA has a record of changing parties. He quit the party as provincial president. He remained a part of caretaker cabinets in the past. He Joined Nawaz Shareef and then during power struggle between Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Nawaz Sharif, Bijarani was the first cabinet minister of Nawaz Shareef to defect and join Ghulam Ishaq Khans camp. He joined Pir Pagara and left PPP in returnhe was nominated for Senate. He won 1997 elections by securing 39000 votes as PPP (Shaheed Bhutto) candidate against 24700 votes of Mir Imarn Khan Bijarani (his nephew) fielded by Pakistan Peoples Party. He was introduced into the political arena and mainstream politics by the veteran politician and his cousin Mir Mehran Khan Bijarani, a founder member of PPP but Mir Hazar Khan turned against his benefactor. Mir Hazar Khan re-joined PPPP and since been proposing the PPPP leadership to form the government instead of sitting on the opposition benches. He is known to be on the payroll of the establishment.

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Pak Media and The Feudal Lords.
Pakistan: For over 10 years, Shahid Soomro's reports on tribal feuds and barbaric tribal justice in the provinces of Sindh and Baluchistan often made the headlines of 'Daily Kawish', a regional Sindhi-language newspaper.

On October 21, this intrepid journalist paid with his life for questioning Pakistan's feudal system and injustice to the poor. He was shot while resisting five armed men who tried to kidnap him from his home, and succumbed to his injuries in hospital soon after.

Aziz, Soomro's younger brother, identified three of the five killers and lodged a case against them at the police station. Two of the main accused in the killing are nephews of the politician Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, who was recently elected a Member of the National Assembly from Jacobabad as PPPP candidate.

The reports filed by Soomro often stepped on influential toes. During the recent elections, his articles had antagonised some of the local tribal chiefs, who accused him of ignoring them and giving coverage to their rival candidates. Apparently, Soomro had refused to cover Bijarani's election
campaign.

Soomro's murder is a horrifying example of the might and mindset of the feudal lords. In the recent past, feudal landlords and police officials are believed to have tortured several newsmen working in Pakistan's under-developed areas when they reported against them. In fact, the feudal chieftains in Sindh province are said to have killed many journalists. "These feudal chiefs are brought up to teach a lesson to anyone who challenges their clout," says Mashooq Odhano, one of Soomro's colleagues.

Ali Qazi, editor of 'Daily Kawish', believes Soomro's murder is a horrifying example of the worst form of intolerance prevalent in Pakistan. "Many of these feudal chiefs are not ready to accept that the situation has changed. The downtrodden farmers are beginning to revolt against the excesses of their feudal lords. Now, not only are the peasants refusing to blindly obey them, they are also daring to expose them if they are involved in any illegal or immoral acts," he says.

"In the past, small-time police officials or journalists were intimidated by the feudal chiefs. Now trends in journalism have undergone a sea-change; but the feudals have refused to accept this new reality and continue to bully and threaten all those who oppose them," Qazi contends.

The police initially arrested two of the alleged killers while three others remained at large. Due to the hue and cry raised by the media and civil society, all five are now in police custody. But the intimidation has not ended. On November 4, the police officer investigating the case was seriously injured when he received a parcel bomb concealed in a box of sweets that blew up when he opened it.
According to the police official, he had been receiving threats from the relatives of the accused, and he was warned of serious consequences if he implicated the two influential accused. "You have to live here and you know to what extent can we go," he was told.

Soomro started his career as a journalist in 1988 and had been working for the 'Daily Kawish' since 1991. According to his colleagues, he had received threats from some feudal landlords during the elections and was worried someone would try to eliminate him. "I think if people in this area were to
be killed for what they write, I'd be the first to go," he is reported to have told his colleagues.

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Pakistan: Five Girls Saved From ?Penalty Marriages?

KARACHI, June 12: Five girls whose parents were ordered by a recent jirga in Haji Kamal Magsi village near Thul to hand them over in ?marriage? to a rival family to settle a long-drawn feud over a murder must have heaved a sigh of relief on Monday when the jirga verdict was declared unlawful.
The decision to annul the verdict was taken at a meeting presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, who took the opportunity to criticise PPP legislator Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani for allegedly taking part in the jirga and being a party to the controversial decision.
The MNA from Jacobabad distanced himself from the jirga decision on Sunday when he told a press conference that he had taken part in a reconciliation meeting, and not a jirga, to help two groups of the Banglani clan to which he belonged, to bury the hatchet. Mr Bijarani earned the criticism of the Sindh chief minister for not attending the Monday meeting to which he had been called.
Dr Rahim asked the Kashmore district?s top police officer to find out why the jirga was allowed to be held. He said an FIR should be registered in the murder case.? Reporter

Jirga orders marriage of girl into rival
Saturday, June 10,2006
SUKKUR, June 9: A girl here fell victim to a village jirga which ordered that she be married into a rival family to settle a karo-kari dispute. It is learnt that the jirga, in the Garhi Hassan Sarki village, was held under the patronage of Thull Taluka Nazim Ghulam Akbar Banglani and dozens of other nazims, naib nazims and influential people. It was called to resolve dispute between the Bagh Ali group and the Shahnawaz group of the Noorani tribe.

The jirga found the Bagh Ali group guilty of karo-kari and fined it Rs 120,000 and ordered it to give a girl in marriage to the Shahnawaz group.

The Bagh Ali group paid Rs 20,000 on the spot and promised pay the remaining amount within two months.

Meanwhile, activists of different political, social and religious parties held a demonstration outside the Thull Press Club in protest against the holding of jirgas.

Led by Jawed Saghar and Abdul Sattar Memon, the activists of People?s Party Parliamentarians, PPP-SB, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party and Shehri Ittehad and other groups participated in the protest.

They demanded that the government of Sindh and the Supreme Court should punish people holding jirgas.

They said that ordering an innocent girl?s marriage to resolve a dispute was inhuman. They also said that such decisions were against the teachings of Islam.

They demanded arrest of the people who presided over and attended the jirga in Thull.

They also urged PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto to take action against MNA Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani for attending the jirga.

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Discontentment brews within PPPP.

* Members upset over Jamali-Bijarani meeting *

By Shaukat Piracha.

ISLAMABAD: Discontentment is simmering among members of the Pakistan People's Party-Parliamentarians (PPPP) over a meeting of Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani with Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

Party sources told Daily Times that the party leadership has taken note of the meeting and "the party will seriously take up the violation of party discipline with Mr Bijarani."

The fresh wave of discontentment has engulfed parliamentarians after the party leadership failed to take action against Mr Bijarani for violating party discipline vis-à-vis contacts with top government functionaries.

Mr Bijarani, a member of the National Assembly, held a meeting with Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali at Prime Minister House last Saturday without prior authorisation from the party leadership.

"This is sheer discrimination of the party leadership that disciplinary action is taken against a party member of the National Assembly (Zafar Warraich) who simply invites the chief minister to his daughter's wedding and he is so haunted by the party that he has to resign from the National Assembly," said a PPPP parliamentarian at the request of anonymity.

"On the other hand, a member of the National Assembly is so daring as to call on the prime minister, but no disciplinary action is taken against him," said a PPP parliamentarian.

Another parliamentarian from the party said that, "such actions (meeting with the PM) only bring into focus the inconsistencies of party policies".

Sources said that the issue of the meeting of Mr Bijarani with Premier Jamali was brought to the notice of Chairperson Benazir Bhutto on the same day and she took this violation extremely seriously.

"Benazir Bhutto has advised the local leadership of the party to take up this issue with Mr Bijarani and it is expected that President PPPP Makhdoom Amin Fahim will make a final decision about how to deal with those who violate party discipline," sources added.

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President and Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf will not discuss with the country's leading politicians matters other than pertaining to his visit to India.

"The General-politicians interaction will remain confined to one subject -- India visit," said a senior official. He told The News Saturday that there would be strict enforcement of the rules of the game in the all parties conference convened by President Musharraf.

Officially, it is said that in pursuance of his decision to consult representatives from important segments of society prior to his visit to India, President and Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has invited politicians representing all leading political parties for a consultative meeting on June 27 (Wednesday).

The chief of protocol on behalf of the government has issued formal invitation to 24 political leaders. The General-politicians conference is expected to last more than three hours. The General would also host politicians over a luncheon.

Those invited to the "Conference on India Visit" are former president Sardar Farooq Khan Leghari (Millat Party), former caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi (NPP), ex-chairman Senate Wasim Sajjad (PML), ex-speaker National Assembly Elahi Bukhsh Soomro (PML), ex-speaker National Assembly Hamid Nasir Chattha (PML), Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagaro (PML), Mian Muhammad Azhar (PML-QA), Aftab Ahmed Shaikh (Muttahida Qaumi Movement), Makhdoom Amin Fahim (PPP), Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani (PPP), Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan (PDP/ARD), Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani (JUP), Qazi Hussain Ahmed (JI), Maulana Fazlur Rehman (JUI), Dr Tahirul Qadri (PAT), Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi (TJP), Maulana Samiul Haq (JUI), Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan (TIP), Imran Khan (PTI), Ajmal Khattak (NAPP), Asfandyar Wali (ANP), Mir Hasal Bizenjo (BNP), Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch (BNM) and Fatehyab Ali Khan (PIIA).

There are reports from camps of the different political parties that their leaders would definitely try to raise domestic political issues, no matter whether the General pays any heed to their questions or not.

No hard-core PML-N leader has been invited as both Wasim Sajjad and Soomro, being members of the PML conciliation committee, have been maintaining a neutral posture. They attended general council meetings of both the PML factions as observers. The PML-N has already announced not to hold talk with President Musharraf at any level. President General Musharraf will also meet separately top media persons, Ulema and Mashaikh and some Kashmir leaders before he leaves for Delhi for talks with Vajpayee in mid-July. Reporter.

Chief Election Commissioner Sacked
for making a bold decision.

On 10th December, 2005 , by- election for the National Assembly Constituency NA-210, Jacobabad 111 was held. Most political pundits were watching the campaign and political manouvring of the two major contestants Ghalib Dombki backed by the ruling PML (Q) and Mir Imran Khan Bijarani by PPPP with great interest. However the public interest was lukewarm as they seem to be convinced that their vote will change nothing and that the outcome of the election has already been decided by Islamabad . One cannot blame them as the entire district administration was shamelessly arm-twisting the supporters of the PPPP candidate.

I got out of bed at 7:30 in the morning had shower and a quick breakfast, now I was ready to visit the polling stations to observe the polling process. When I reached polling station GHS Tangwani, I saw a heavy contingent of Rangers and police, it was reassuring that atleast adequate security arrangements were made to tackle any law & order situation. The turnout at the polling station was poor and the polling was going smoothly and peacefully. I kick-started my CD-70 and headed towards Polling station Ali Sher Sarki, village of Ghulam Sarwar Sarki, additional secretary to Chief Minister, Sindh.

I could see from quite far away the board pointing towards the link road leading to village Ali Sher Sarki, as I took a left turn there were atleast three huge buildings under construction, a new police station, a school and a hospital. Development at a supersonic speed. On my arrival at the polling station I noticed that there were no que’s of voters except few local kids shouting “ Mir Imran Khan ZINDABAAD “ After securing my bike I started walking towards the polling booths. I heard some people arguing inside, when I entered the booth I saw a well composed young man inquiring from the presinding officer, how many votes have been casted so far, how many ballot boxes have you been issued, what are the serial numbers of the ballot papers, how many stamps are you using etc etc.

The presiding officer seemed uneasy. In reply to the PPP candidate’s first question presiding officer said fifty votes have been casted so far and I have been issued only two ballot boxes. A cameraman representing one of the private TV channels shouted “both the ballot boxes are fully stuffed.” Bijarani demanded of him to show the invoice of material issued by the Election Commission, by now Presiding Officer was sweating and said that he has not been provided one while another member of the polling staff came forward and picked up an envelope opened it and passed a sheet of light blueish paper to PPPP candidate. I could see bijarani going through the sheet and then he looked at the presiding officer and said in a stern manner , you are lying. According to this invoice you have been issued three ballot boxes and not two , where is the third one?.
While we were arguing a white car escorted by police mobiles stopped outside the Polling Station and a well dressed, middle aged man stepped out of the vehicle and came inside the polling station. He seemed angry when he saw TV reporters filming the argument between the contesting candidate and the Presiding Officer but when he realized what we had uncovered he asked the presiding officer to explain what was going on?.


He replied that everything was going well, but it was simply not his day the camera man rewound his tape and played on the small display screen on his camera, the entire
conversation was preserved as a proof . The well dressed man turned out to be the Assistant Returning Officer, Tangwani. and he seemed furious, he told the presiding officer that either come clean or be ready for the consequences for rigging the election. With tears in his eyes the presiding officer said that he was threatened and harrased by the additional secretary to CM and S.H.O to stuff the ballot boxes and I was forced to stuff votes in favour of the Ruling party candidate Ghalib Dombki.

From there on wherever I went there were complaints of police officials stuffing ballot boxes, kidnapping polling agents of PPPP candidate by police so much so MNA, Aijaz Jakhrani who was the chief election agent of Mir Imran Khan Bijarani was also detained by Kashmore police and released after the polling hour’s. Now I could understand what the constituents meant when they said that their vote will change nothing. It was evident that Mr bijarani was not contesting against Ghalib Dombki (who secured only 6000 votes in contrast with Bijarani’s 46000 votes in general election , 2002) but against the district Nazim, District Police Officer and the District co-ordination Officer.

I must admit that despite the odds against him, Bijarani fought with courage at all fronts. He managed to galvanize his campaign successfully and convinced many of Dombki supporters to support him at the same time he managed that none of his supporters breakaway from him due to carrot and stick policy of the administration. We all know that contesting by-elections against ruling party candidate means nothing but political and financial losses. A couple of politicians from the district refused to contest due to unfavourable circumstances.

By the end of the day I was extremely tired and disgusted by the “Free, Fair and Transparent Elections” rhetoric of the government, and the conduct unbecoming of the DCO, DPO and obviously the District Nazim, the intimidation of PPPP voters. As far as the Observers are concerned, they were given a guided tour by the district administration. Around 8.45 pm results started pouring in. NA-210 consists of three Taluka’s, 1. Tangwani, a stronghold of the Bijarani family, 2.Kandhkot, under the shared influence of Bijarani and Sunderani family and 3. Kashmore, having diverse pockets of influence of Syeds, Chachars, Miralis, Dombkis, Bhangwars, Shars, Mazaris, Bhuttos, Nahars, Badanis, Dashtis and Sohrianis.




According to the unofficial results the turnout in Tangwani area remained 20% whereas in areas of the district nazim, Saleemjan Mazari and Ghalib Dombki it was as high as 100%, which was quite abnormal and reflects RIGGING. Mir Imran Khan Bijarani called a press conference the same evening and presented proofs of rigging and demanded that the results be withheld and an inquiry be conducted. Private TV channels KTN & Sindh TVnot only broadcasted the press conference but they also put the recording of Polling Station, Ali Sher Sarki on air as well. Around 10.00pm the Chief Election Commissioner was interviewed by the journalists in Karachi about the reports of rigging in Kashmore, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar replied that” we have received numerous complaints and therefore the result of NA-210, Jacobabad 111 has been withheld.


The Chief Election Commissioner immediately called for a detailed report from the district & sessions judge/district Returning Officer, Kashmore on the following points:

(1) Identify the names and number of polling stations where more than 50% votes have been polled, after checking the results submitted by the Presiding Officers in Form XIV.
(2) Identify the names and number of polling stations from where polling agents were not allowed to enter and observe the polling process.

The Chief Election Commissioner further directed withholding of the final consolidation of results by the Returning Officer in the meanwhile. A detailed report was received from the District Returning officer, which showed that at 172 polling stations more than 50% votes had been cast in his report, the DRO, Kashmore further stated as under:


“At 11:00 A.M a criminal case was registered at.Kashmore police station bearing crime number138/2005 U/S 188,341 and147PPC for violation of 144 Cr.P.C. against 8 persons. This complaint was made by Mr Qaim Ali Shah the provincial leader of PPPP in my chamber at about 4:00 P.M. and I directed the concerned Magistrate to release the above mentioned against P.R.bond”

“The Assistant Returning Officer, Tangwani Mr. Sikander Amir Pahore in his report has stated that during his visit to polling station Ali Sher Sarki the Presiding Officer had disclosed that Mr. Ghulam Sarwar Sarki, Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister, Sindh and Mr. Shaukat Ali Rind SHO, police station Dera Sarki had pressurized him for bogus voting..”


“The DRO further states that as per directives of the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan , I had visited numerous polling stations but the agents of Mir Imran Khan Bijarani did not make any complaint. However, I did not observe que of voters at any polling station. In some polling stations 300 plus votes were shown to have cast in the early hours but no female voter was available. Generally the turn out as shown in the Form XVI is much higher in comparison to the previous polls held in the said constituency.”


(1) Upon receipt of the above report, Chief Election Commissioner directed that additional information be called from the District Returning Officer on the following points.

a) Details of 172 polling stations and report of Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officer, and
b) Details of polling stations NO: 5, 6, 7, 8, 87, 89 & 100 may also be called alongwith the details of women polling stations.
(4) The District Returning Officer furnished the following Details of the 172
Number of Polling Stations : % of votes cast

14. 50 to 59 %
60 to 70 %
71 to 80 %
81 to 90 %
91 to 100 %

(5) On receipt of the above information, a meeting of the Commission was convened at the Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad wherin the alleged rigging in the by-election held in NA-210,Jacobabad 111 has been considered. In the process the reports received from the District Returning Officer, Kashmore, Assistant Returning Officers of the said constituency and the unofficial result of the by-election were looked into.

(6) The Commission noticed with great concern that there was an abnormal percentage of votes cast in the said by-election. Normally, in by-elections turn out remains far lower than the general election and even in big cities like Karachi has been below 30 %. There is no history of such a high turn out in the said constituency in any general or by-election, whereas in the instant by-election out of total 261 polling stations, in 172 polling stations abnormal voting has been noticed. This fact gives rise to a legitimate conclusion that the polls were rigged adopting the corrupt practices at massive level in violation of the Electoral Law and rules.

(7) The Assistant Returning Officer concerned and the District Returning Officer in their reports have further reported that Mr Ghulam Sarwar Sarki, Additional Secretary, to the Chief Minister, Sindh alongwith SHO Mr. Shaukat Ali Rind pressurized the Presiding Officers for bogus voting/ballot stuffing. The Kashmore police registered case No: 138/2005 against eight persons of the pppp candidate for violation of section144 (actually polling agents of PPPP candidate) and when the matter was brought to the notice of DRO through a complaint, they were released on his orders. The DRO further reported that he visited numerous polling stations on the poll day. Whereas, he did not see a single female voter in the polling station while according to the Presiding Officer 300 votes had already been cast there. He further observed that during his visit to the polling stations he did not come across any rows/ques of voters except at 1 polling station out of 261.





(8) The Election Commission of Pakistan in its order to declare the said election “Null & Void” states :

“In view of the reports received from the District Returning Officer, Assistant Returning Officer, the Commission is satisfied that grave illegalties and violation of the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 (hereinafter called the Act) and the rules framed thereunder have been commited during the polls in the said constituency. Therefore, in exercise of powers conferred under Section 103AA of the Act and all other powers enabling it in that behalf, the Commission hereby declares the poll held on 10-12-2005 in NA-210, Jacobabad 111to be ” Null & void ” orders fresh election to be held in the said constituency on a date to be fixed later. Action against the persons/government officers involved in mal-practices will be considered separately.”

The PML (Q) candidate Ghalib Dombki filed an appeal and challenged the decision of ECP in the high court of Sindh but after hearing the arguments of the councel’s representing Mir Imran Khan Bijarani, ECP and Ghalib Dombki, the DB dismissed the appeal.

The question is that if the Representation of the people Act & Code of conduct was violated by the ruling party candidate and him being the beneficiary of rigging, Why was he not disqualified and barred from contesting election for a specified period of 14 years? and why was he allowed to contest re-election despite objections raised by PPPP candidate at the time of the filing of the nomination papers ? why was he allowed to contest the re-election on 25th February,2006 , and to steal the election for the second time ? Could it be possible that he was rescued by someone very powerful? Is this real democracy or is it a sham, the readers can decide for themselves.


Hafeez Malik.