Siraj warns against rigging in elections

LAHORE: Jamaat Islami ameer senator Sirajul Haq has warned against imminent rigging and sale, purchase of votes in coming elections, saying election commission is still far away from ensuring electoral reforms despite the elections round the corner.

The traditional slackness of ECP played havoc with the sanctity of votes in recent Senate elections as votes were sold for huge money and parliamentarians were sold out like cattle, earning bad name to the elections and creating serious doubts on entire electoral process, he said while addressing a consultative meeting of the party office-bearers at Mansoora here on Wednesday.

Siraj warned that if the senate elections like horse trading was repeated in general elections then the parliament would lose public confidence jeopardising the future of democracy in the country. He said the manner in which money became tool of success in Senate elections, enemies of Pakistan could send their agents in the parliament causing serious damage to national security.

The meeting decided to speed up the electoral activities of the party across the country to prepare for the coming general elections in order to make the year 2018 a year of genuine change in the country. The meeting decided to hold two-day convention of all JI candidates of national and provincial assemblies at Mansoorah at the end of March, which would give final shape to the electoral preparedness of the party.

The meeting was attended by JI leaders Liaqat Baloch, Hafiz Idress, Rashed Naseem, Asadullah Bhutto, Mian Muhammad Aslam, Prof Ibrahim Khan, Dr Farid Paracha, Mohammad Ashgar, Hafiz Sajid Anwar, Waqas Anjum Jafri and Amirul Azeem.