Attempts to delay LG polls thwarted: Farooq Sattar

Karachi
Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) election campaign has concluded peacefully, despite attempts by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to postpone the local government elections.
Despite strong opposition, the MQM is going to contest the election and hopes that both PTI and JI will not look for excuses to boycott the polls on December and stay in the battleground till the last vote is caste, said senior leader Dr Farooq Sattar on Friday.
Addressing a hurriedly-called press conference at the Khursheed Begum Secretariat, Dr Sattar said fortunately no incident occurred which could further delay the local government election.
He said though the PTI and JI did not have an option of boycotting the election, they might still cook up excuses about alleged rigging and question the transparency of the election to run away in the middle of the fight on the polling day.
Dr Sattar said the parties, after sensing their defeat in the local government election, might run away from the fight. He said even though the sector incharges and workers of the MQM were arrested in droves, the party was still up for a fight.
“The military police personnel and Rangers were attacked to try and postpone the local government election and the JI and PTI even asked for it,” he said. “But thankfully the campaigning has concluded successfully and the sun will rise on December 6 in our favour.”
He said the press conference was being held to tell the people that no untoward incident had occurred throughout the election campaign and the other parties now had no excuse to run away from the elections.
However, he said, the other political parties were given a level playing field, the MQM was victimised by certain elements. “But our workers and supporters are still keeping their word and not boycotting the polls,” he said.
Giving details of the seats where the party was contesting, Sattar said the MQM was contesting on 209 seats on 174 them had fielded its own candidates. The party was also supporting six independent candidates while the Jamat Ahle Sunnat had declared its support.