Emergency or martial law possible: Pir Pagara

SUKKUR: Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) chief Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, known as Pir Pagara, said Friday that the army had tested everyone, and it was possible now that an emergency or a martial law could be imposed in the country, and the judiciary would give legal cover to it.

Addressing a huge sit-in, being staged in Jamshoro city of Sindh against the alleged rigging and consequent election results, he said: “The army has tested everyone now [...] no one can take control of the federation except for military.”

The Pagara-led GDA had announced a few days ago launch of an agitation against the alleged election rigging that led to the PPP victory in Sindh. The alliance also decided that its two MPAs-elect would not join the new provincial assembly.

Expressing serious reservations over the 2024 election outcomes, Rashdi alleged: “The results had been sold and payments were disbursed almost three months before the conduct of the nationwide polls.” He said that his allies had suggested electioneering, but he refused them to spend a massive sum of money on public meetings. “I stay away from politics, as it demands lies. An individual is considered to be a ‘great leader’ who has the quality to spread lies every time.”

The recent polls have proved that there was no national-level leader present in the country, claimed the alliance’s chief.

The spiritual leader of Hurs clarified that they were staging protests against alleged poll rigging, and not against any national institutions including the armed forces. He added that the entire country was well protected and living in peace due to the security forces.

Pagara said he also rejected the suggestion of boycotting the general election as it would not be fruitful to let people see things in black and white.

He said in his view, the PTI founder was not a thief. “If the PTI founder is a thief, then we all are thieves,” he said and added that the PTI founder might have made a mistake in Toshakhana case.

The ‘tsunami’ of two-and-a-half million young voters should not be stopped, he warned and added that the young voters of the PTI founder had shown perfection. “This government cannot run for more than eight to 10 months. Society is not run by the rich or the poor, but by the middle class,” he added.

Another GDA leader, Fehmida Mirza, said the alleged rigging in elections was a robbery. She demanded that the chief election commissioner should be charged under Article 6. “People of Sindh have awaken, and they will not sit silent,” she added.

GDA leader Saira Bano demanded that the CEC should resign immediately. “The party ruling for the last 15 years has not given anything to Sindh – neither schools nor water. It only looted the province,” she claimed.

Liaquat Jatoi said they would continue protest until getting their right. Ayaz Palejo said the PPP had snatched hope from the people of Sindh.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader Rashid Soomro demanded that elections should be nullified.

JI leader Hafiz Naeemur Rehman said they would not let anyone occupy the mandate of people.