Fazl rejects ECP claim of fair polls

ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) on Tuesday rejected claims of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) about conduct of fair and free elections in the country asking the ECP to stop repeating this claim.

“We reject claims of ECP about conduct of fair and free elections on July 25 and will continue our protest against rigging,” MMA President Maulana Fazalur Rehman while talking to media after chairing a meeting of alliance of five religious parties said.

He lost both the National Assembly seats from his native city Dera Ismail Khan. He said the ECP should stop making claims of fair polls saying that PTI emerged as majority party as a result of worst rigging in country’s elections history. “On which basis the PTI which emerges just as a big party talks about forming the government and federal cabinet as well,” the MMA president said asking ECP to stop PTI chief from making wrong interpretation of Constitution.

He pointed that if the PTI did not enjoy clear majority in the center, then other parties had the right to form their government. He also accused PTI leadership of indulging in horse trading to complete required numbers for formation of their government.

“Let us open constituencies and get the thumb impression and stamps verified,” he said. The leaders of religious parties during the meeting discussed proposal coming from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Sirajul Haq that MMA’s elected candidates should not stay away from assemblies and they should take oath. “We will place proposal of Sirajul Haq in this connection at All Parties Conference (APC),” Maulana Fazalur Rehman without giving any categorical response to a question said.

He while dispelling an impression about differences in ranks of MMA said all the parties were united and they were unanimous of the view that general elections have been rigged. “The MMA workers should continue protest against rigging while we will also take up at final strategy for protest movement at forum of APC,” he said. Fazalur Rehman regretted that the American government had also welcomed defeat of religious parties in the July 25 elections. “But this is a fact that religious parties have received five million votes,” he said.

He questioned if establishment was a party in rigging and said that PTI should also admit open interference of establishment in elections results. He said reportedly, the army chief had given statement that enemy was defeated with power of vote. “Will the army chief clarify whom he considers as enemy,” he said.

“We are target of forces working against Pakistan. We have come a long way in our comprehensive national effort to fail them,” the DG ISPR said in a tweet message while quoting Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on July 25 had said. “We are united and steadfast to defeat them today through our votes. Please come out and vote undeterred,” the COAS then said. The message from COAS categorically referred to anti-Pakistan forces. But, the MMA president perhaps took July 25 message otherwise and negatively.