State machinery trying to impose ‘Ladla’ on nation: Asfandyar

CHARSADDA: Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan said here Monday that state machinery like Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the judiciary and other organization disrespected public mandate and imposed ‘Ladla’ on the nation.

He was addressing a rally at the Farooq Azam Chowk to protest the alleged rigging in the July 25 general election. Other ANP leaders, including former Senator Afrasiab Khattak and Asfandyar Wali’s son Aimal Wali Khan, also spoke on the occasion.

Asfandyar Wali said the Pakhtun leaders were made to lose and deliberately kept out of the Parliament. “What message is being conveyed by keeping the Pakhtun politicians out of the Parliament?” he asked.

He said that Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mian Saqib Nisar took suo moto notices of trivial issues, but ignored the massive rigging in the polls. “The Chief Justice is in league with those who rigged the election,” he alleged.

The ANP chief said the national institutions were put at stake to favour a certain political party. He didn’t name the PTI or Imran Khan and instead referred to him as ‘Ladla’. The ANP had announced to stage protests in all the divisional headquarters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the alleged rigging in the general election.

In his speech, Asfandyar Wali said that he had predicted that his party would win if the results were not manipulated. He said the results were tampered with to favour a ‘fake’ political party.

Asfandyar Wali alleged that the state institutions played a dirty role to pave the way for the victory of a certain political party. He said the Election Commission knew as to who had rigged the polls but it was helpless.

He reiterated his demand that re-election should be held as the July 25 general election was massively rigged. In Peshawar, the ANP workers staged a protest rally at Jinnah Park to highlight the alleged rigging in the election.

The protesters demanded re-election in the country. They asked the army to take action against its officers who were involved in rigging.The protesting ANP leaders said that none of the political parties has agreed to the scheme of polling under the army’s supervision.

The ANP workers accused the Election Commission and caretaker government of rigging the general election for imposing their favourite candidate on the people. They said that masses have rejected the polls and declared it a conspiracy against democracy.

In Bannu, the ANP workers gathered outside the Bannu Press Club to stage demonstration and record their protest the recent election.Addressing the protesters, ANP leaders Abdul Samad Khan, Abdul Mateen and others demanded re-election. They said the election was rigged to make Imran Khan the prime minister.

They said the Election Commission of Pakistan failed to hold fair, free and transparent election.In the Bajaur tribal district, the ANP held a rally against alleged rigging in the election and blocked the Bajaur-Munda road in Khar as a mark of protest.

ANP Bajaur chapter President Malik Attaullah Khan and other speakers while addressing the rally alleged that leaders of the Pashtun belt were made to lose the election. They rejected the election results and called it a selection.

MINGORA: The ANP activists staged a protest at the Nishat Chowk. Addressing the protestors the senior ANP leaders, Wajid Ali Khan, Ayub Ashari, Muhammad Saleem Khan and Jafar Shah were critical of the candidates who, they alleged, had secured success through rigging. The protests were staged in other parts of the province as well including Mardan, etc.