JI condemns ‘rigging, ECP’s support for PPP’

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islam (JI) chief Sirajul Haq, while rejecting the results of Sunday’s local government by-polls in Sindh, said on Monday the Pakistan Peoples Party’s win was the “product of rigging” and it had no concern with democratic values.

In a statement, he said “the use of government force and change of ballot boxes” also proved that the PPP attempted to enter the corridors of power through rigging, lobbying and other undemocratic means. “Such an undemocratic attitude derailed democracy in the past and caused irreparable loss to the country.”

Haq said a blatant attempt to change the mandate given by people was a matter of shame, saying that the PPP never secured majority seats in Karachi and they stole mandate in the LG polls also.

“We strongly condemn such undemocratic tactics and will assure them that we will come up to the expectations of people of Karachi,” he said.

The JI leader said: “We served thje people of Karachi in the past and will continue to do so in future also and will restore the real face of the metropolitan as city of lights.” He strongly condemned torture on workers and polling agents of his party and regretted that no action was taken against the outlaws.

Separately, Karachi JI chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman strongly condemned the Election Commission of Pakistan over what he called its “miserable failure to hold free and fair local government elections in Karachi” — a constitutional obligation and prime

responsibility of the commission.

He expressed these views while addressing a press conference held at Idara Noor-e-Haq, the JI Karachi headquarters, here. He condemned the ECP for “playing a nefarious role in support of the fascism showed by the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh during the local government polls in the mega city”.

He said the ECP head in Sindh, when contacted by him, over the issue of Form 13, responded that there was no need for the JI to obtain that form from the officials as it was of no use despite the fact that the viewpoint of the ECP representative in Sindh was in totally contradictory to the rules and regulations of the commission.

PPP workers captured various polling stations and threw out polling agents of the JI and other parties at gunpoint, Rehman said, adding that at several spots charged mobs of the PPP attempted to lynch JI polling agents.

The PPP also uprooted several tents and opened straight fire on JI workers, whereas the police not only played the role of a spectator but later arrested several JI workers and lodged first information reports against them, he said, adding that Rangers also excused themselves from playing any role, saying it was out of the ambit of their mandate.

“What is the use of the law enforcement agencies in the city if they are unable to protect the lives of citizens?” he asked. Rehman further said that the JI would continue its struggle for the city and citizens. He said that the JI would form the local government in Karachi “despite all the fascism showed up by the PPP” and a JI delegation would call upon the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leadership on Tuesday in this regard.