• He said neither they would leave centre nor contest polls.
• MQM leader alleged of pre-poll rigging in LB polls.
• “Responsibility of ECP is to keep an eye on delimitation.”

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-P (MQM-P) on Sunday announced to boycott the local bodies elections hours before their starting in Karachi and Hyderabad, Bol News reported.

“We withdraw from the elections in protest. We do not accept today’s election as an election,” MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said addressing a press conference in Bahadurabad. He was flanked by Mustafa Kamal, Farooq Sattar and Faisal Sabzwari.

However, he said neither they would leave the federal government nor contest the local government elections.

The MQM leader alleged that pre-poll rigging had already taken place in the elections, therefore nobody could accept it as elections. They approached the assemblies, ECP and courts to raise the voice for rights of Karachi and Hyderabad, he maintained.

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“It is responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure transparent, unbiased and fair elections. The first responsibility of the ECP is to keep an eye on delimitation. The delimitation is constitutionally and legally responsibility of the ECP,” he said adding that election body did not fulfill its responsibility. He said the authorities should review delimitation.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said despite the fake delimitations and double voter list, they were the biggest player in the elections. “Our voters are in such a large number that we believe that as the federal government could not be formed without MQM’s support, the local government could also not be formed without its help,” he said.

The MQM-P leader said their efforts were not for the mayor, but for the right direction of the city.

He blamed that the Jamaat e Islami knew that gerrymandering had taken place still they were participating in the elections.