Siraj questions ECP’s credibility for general elections

ISLAMABAD: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leaders, including Central Ameer Sirajul Haq and Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, on Friday questioned the credibility of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct general elections after alleged rigging in Karachi mayoral elections.

They were addressing a demonstration here after the Friday prayers against the alleged rigging in Karachi mayor elections. “How it was possible that a candidate having 193 votes lost to a candidate having 173 votes?” Siraj asked, adding that JI leaders and workers had gathered in Islamabad to register their protest against the ECP, which failed in ensuring transparent elections in Karachi.

The JI activists carrying banners, placards and party flags chanted slogans against the PPP leadership and ECP.

Siraj said it would be difficult for the PPP to digest its fake victory in Karachi, demanding commission withdraw the notification on the success of PPP candidate. He said those who were brought up by the establishment and broke the country should not teach the JI leadership lessons of democracy. “We should snatch our mandate from the PPP, which follows a manifesto of corruption.”

Naeem said the JI candidates lost the Karachi mayor elections due to connivance between the PPP and ECP. “They both have stolen our mandate,” he said and added the whole of PDM was involved in rigging.

Naeem recalled that in its first attempt, the PPP leadership failed in new demarcation in Karachi and won an additional 14 seats through rigging and with the connivance of returning officers.

It has been a tradition of the PPP leadership to steal mandate in the name of democracy as they did in 1971 and the country was broken into two parts. “Asif Ali Zardari, who is an expert in buying votes, is called a successful politician,” he said.