Independent ECP need of the hour for avoiding ‘fog incidents’: Siraj

LAHORE: Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq said country had been suffering from the electoral rigging over the last 73 years under different pretexts like the recent “votes missing in fog” in the bye elections, requiring urgent and comprehensive electoral reforms.

If the reforms were not brought immediately, then more ‘fog incidents’ could happen in the coming general elections, completely alienating masses from the electoral process, he said while talking to media at Mansoora Monday. “A powerful, independent Election Commission is the need of the hour. Political parties should sit together for election reforms,” he said, warning that using delaying tactics in delivery of results, disappearance of polling staff, violence, and use of wealth, influence and government machinery were the tactics which had been adopted in all polls. He said there must be check on these evil tactics to secure the future of coming generations. Fair and free polls were the only way forward to put the country on track. He doubted the sincerity of the political parties to achieve the objective of free polls, saying “in fact the political elite ruling the country for decades are alien to the concept of free election and durable democracy. —Correspondent

There is no concept of holding intra-party elections in the country as majority of the parties acted as family clubs and one-man show”. To a question, he said military ruled the country for 37 years and rest of the time it influenced every government. He said the three political parties were befooling the masses and in fact they were agents of the status quo. He said the JI had decided to stay away from the politics of the PTI and the PDM and launched a separate movement for the rights of the masses. He said the JI had the potential to put Pakistan on track.

Earlier, addressing the training workshop for the party workers at Mansoora, Siraj advised them to spread the message of Holy Quran and Sunnah among the masses. He said the JI was struggling hard to achieve the objective of Islamic welfare state, adding country’s future is bright.