Opposition parties protest ‘rigging’ today

ISLAMABAD: The grand alliance of multiple political parties -- Pakistan Alliance for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFE) -- is set to launch its protest against alleged rigging in the elections today (Wednesday) in front of the headquarters of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The protest rally would be attended by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), National Party (NP), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), which are part of the alliance.

According to sources, it was decided that all the elected parliamentarians of the alliance and those who lost the elections were asked to attend the rally in front of the ECP office. Sources said it is expected that the MMA chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif will lead the protest, while the PkMAP Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Senator Hasil Bizenjo of the National Party, Mian Iftikhar Hussain and Zahid Khan of the ANP along with Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and elected parliamentarians of the PML-N will attend the rally.

Senior leadership of the PPP, including former prime ministers Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Opposition Leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman, Syed Khursheed Shah, PPPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar and PPP Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira, would attend the rally. However, former president Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are not expected to attend it.

The government has taken security measures and it has been decided that only the political leadership will be allowed to go into the Red Zone, while the workers of the parties will not be allowed to enter the sensitive area. Sources said it was decided to depute over 500 police personnel in the zone to avoid any law and order situation.