Pakistan Election Commission Should Shift Polling Stations to Lahore: Hyrbyair Marri

LONDON (June 22, 2024) – Prominent Baloch leader and founding president of the Free Balochistan Movement, Hyrbyair Marri, expressed his views on a BBC Urdu report about shifting Kahan’s polling stations to Kohlu. Marri stated that Pakistani authorities were deliberately relocating polling stations to conceal their failure to hold elections in Balochistan.

In a post on X, he wrote, “This BBC Urdu article shows that Pakistan is still failing to conduct voting in the Kohistan Marri Kahan Region, thanks to the patriotic Baloch.”

Marri pointed out that the polling stations have been moved approximately 80 kilometers from Kahan to Kohlu, an area heavily militarized with numerous Pakistani soldiers.

“They have shifted the polling station from one area to another, almost 80km away, from Kahan to Kohlu, where there are multiple military garrisons, with thousands of Pakistani occupying soldiers,” Marri tweeted.

Marri called for a united Baloch front to disrupt electoral processes across Balochistan, insisting that any elections should be held in Pakistani cities like Lahore instead.

“We, the Baloch, should coalesce and further create conditions in which they should not be able to conduct any elections anywhere in occupied Balochistan. If they want to bring these puppets of theirs into power, then they should conduct these elections in Lahore,” he stated.

He suggested that the same resistance and boycott strategy should be applied to elections in Iranian-occupied Balochistan.

“We, the Baloch, should do the same in Iranian-occupied Balochistan. We should resist and boycott their fake elections. They shouldn’t be able to hold their elections on Baloch territory, they should take it to Tehran.”

He also strongly criticized the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for its historical and ongoing military actions against the Baloch people.

Marri expressed concern over the recent visit of the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, to Balochistan, suggesting he foresees a new wave of military offensives.

“Now Asif Zardari is in Balochistan and talking about the security situation. I foresee another intensive military operation against Balochistan. But the Baloch people are ready to face the Pakistani Punjabi army,” Marri concluded.

He also referred to the military operations of the 1970s and the “Kill and Dump” policy initiated in 2009, saying that the PPP continues these policies despite periodic apologies.

“Each time they come into government they ask for forgiveness from the Baloch people but they continue to conduct military operations against the Baloch,” Marri wrote.

Hyrbyair Marri’s comments reflect the deep-seated tensions and ongoing conflict in Balochistan, where calls for freedom and resistance against Pakistani occupation continue to gain momentum.

The prominent Baloch leader expressed these views after a BBC Urdu article reported that four months have passed since the February 8 general elections in Pakistan, but there is one area in Balochistan that is still lacking representation due to law and order issues.

Due to continuous attacks by the Baloch Liberation Army, the election process has not even taken place despite three failed attempts to hold elections.

The Election Commission of Pakistan ordered re-polling at four polling stations located in the Nassau area of Kahan on June 26. This time, polling will not be held in Nassau, but its four polling stations have been moved to the district headquarters in Kohlu.

People in these Nassau constituencies will have to travel an estimated 80 kilometers to vote.

Analysts have expressed surprise at the decision, questioning how it would be possible to transfer a large number of voters to Kohlu.

Government officials say that this decision was taken by the Election Commission of Pakistan and the district machinery will be under the commission’s instructions to conduct the election.

It should be noted that Pakistan’s general elections were held on February 8, and in Kohlu, there was a competition between Jangayz Marri of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif), Gazian Marri, an independent candidate, and Naseebullah Marri of the PPP.

Initially, PPP candidate Naseebullah Marri was announced as the winner, but he was challenged by his rivals. Thus, re-polling was ordered at four polling stations in the Nassau area of Kahan.

Later, Gazian Marri stepped down in favor of his elder brother Jangayz Marri before the re-election at four polling stations on February 16, making the contest between Jangayz Marri and Naseebullah Marri one-on-one.

Journalist Nazim Shah Marri from Kohlu told BBC Urdu that re-polling was held for four polling stations at Madrasa Yar Khan in Nassau, resulting in PML-N’s Jangayz Marri being declared successful.

However, People’s Party candidate Naseebullah Marri made allegations of rigging, and on his request, the Election Commission annulled the election in these four constituencies and ordered re-election on April 24 at four polling stations in Nassau.

According to Nazim Shah Marri, Gul Khan Marri, a supporter of Naseebullah Marri, was killed en route to the polling station on April 23.

On April 24, the staff could not reach the polling station due to land mines in the area. The car of a Nawaz League supporter, Rabnawaz Marri, was severely damaged in a land mine blast, but he and others in the car were safe. Due to the non-arrival of polling staff, the election in these four constituencies was postponed.

The Baloch Liberation Army spokesperson, Azad Baloch, accepted responsibility for these attacks.

According to a BBC Urdu report, since 2008, pro-freedom armed organizations in Balochistan have not only asked people to stay away from the general elections but have also carried out operations to sabotage the elections.

Similar acts were carried out in Kohlu by the Baloch Liberation Army during the 2024 general elections, severely affecting the election process in the Kahan district.

On June 26, the Election Commission ordered re-elections at the four polling stations of Nassau for the fourth time. This time, the elections will not be held in Nassau, but the four polling stations have been moved to Kohlu City.

The purpose of setting up a large number of polling stations is to make it easy for people to vote in their immediate areas. However, the four polling stations in Nassau were moved to Kohlu city.

Senior analyst Shahzad Zulfiqar says that the shifting of polling stations may be due to administrative issues but calls the decision somewhat strange.

He argued that the long-standing law and order problem in Kahan or Nassau should not be solved by moving polling stations to Kohlu.

He compared this to shifting polling stations from Quetta to Karachi if there were problems in Quetta. He noted that re-election at four polling stations in Nassau is not a significant problem and could be conducted by deploying a heavy contingent of forces for one day.

“Let’s assume that even if there are 400 votes in these four polling stations, how can so many men and women be taken from there to Kohlu?” he asked.

He added that all the voters of Nassau can’t be transported to Kohlu, and if people are deprived of their right to vote, it means that this election is not for the people. One side has to win, and moving the polling stations could lead to allegations of rigging from the losing side.

According to Naqeebullah Kakar, deputy commissioner of district Kohlu and returning officer of this constituency of the Balochistan Assembly, the request for re-polling in Nassau was filed by the People’s Party candidate, citing the law and order situation in Kahan.

 Although the local administration wanted these polling stations to remain in the Nassau area of Kahan, the Election Commission issued a judicial order to transfer these constituencies for re-polling on June 26.

Kakar stated that bringing voters to the polling station is the responsibility of the candidates, not the state.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rand said that the Election Commission decides how and where the election will be held. The officers responsible are under the Election Commission during the election, so the provincial government is not involved.

Controlling the law and order situation and continuing the polling process is the responsibility of the district administration, which operates under the Election Commission, and the security plan has been approved by the Election Commission.

It remains to be seen whether Pakistani forces will succeed in conducting elections on their fourth attempt or if the election will fail again.