Stolen poll materials found in kandahar

KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): The deputy governor says voter cards, books and other materials looted three days ago from a registration centre in the Arghandab district of southern Kandahar have been found.

The materials were found buried in the ground, Abdul Qayum Patyal told a press conference in Kandahar City, saying the looting was aimed at misusing the materials. He said a thoroughgoing investigation was underway to ascertain who stole the materials.

However, he claimed it appeared the district council members and other groups who had direct connections with the presidential and provincial council elections were involved in the steeling.

“The voter cards have been stolen in order to misuse them in the elections,” the deputy governor said, alleging such illegal acts could be the handiwork of elements who had built hotels on usurped lands near the Kandahar Airfield.

He continued there were individuals involved in stealing people’s credit and money through their communication centres.

They evaded government taxes and provided people with forged affidavits and other documents and fueled hatred and differences among the masses, Patyal said, but only named Kalimullah Naqibi, a member of the Jamiat-i-Islami party.

He said Naqibi wanted to use the stolen cards in favour of his party, an allegation Naqibi rejected as unfounded, saying he had no knowledge when and who had theft the materials.

The provincial council secretary, Hafizullah Mujahid, who is also a tribal elder from Arghandab, accused the district council member, Haji Mohammad Sultanai, of looting the voter registration centre.

He said a youth organisation during a rally in support of President Hamid Karzai had asked Sultanai to run for the provincial council elections. Sultanai stole voter cards in order to take advantage of them in the April 5 elections, Mujahid said.

But his accusation was spurned by Sultanai, who said such allegations against him were based on personal vendetta. He said the youth organisation had rallied to seek extension in Karzai’s tenure.

ma/mud

Visits: 2