Call for holding transparent polls: JI and opposition parties begin 'train march'

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and other opposition parties on Sunday started a train march in support of their demand for holding transparent elections and against targeted killings. Marchers departed for Rawalpindi under the leadership of JI's Ameer of its Sindh chapter Mairajul Huda Siddiqui.
A large number of leaders and workers of various parties, including PML-N, PML-F, JUI, JUP, AML, STPP were at the Cantt Station to see off the marchers, who chanted slogans against persistent targeted killings and misdeeds being perpetrated in the voters' verification process.
The participants of the train march are scheduled to reach Rawalpindi on March 6 where a delegation of opposition leaders will meet with the Chief Election Commissioner in Islamabad.
JI Sindh's General Secretary Mumtaz Sehto, Ameer of JI Karachi Muhammad Hussain Mahenti, Saleem Zia of PML-N, Shahid Soomro of PML-F, Mustaqeem Noorani of JUP, Mehfooz Yar Khan of AML, Gulzar Soomro of STPP were among those who were at the train station. Before departing, JI Sindh chief Mairajul Huda Siddiqui said that the Election Commission had become a tool of evil elements in Karachi, adding that these elements were not willing to acknowledge the existence of anyone in the city.
"As many as 2.2million voters have been increased in electoral rolls despite the completion of the voters' verification process," he said. The JI leader said the train march was a convoy of democracy and peace, adding JI and other opposition parties would restore peace in Karachi. Owais Noorani said the train march would prove to be a referendum against killers, extortionists and terrorists.
He said that terrorists were holding the EC hostage and the commission was obeying orders of certain groups, instead of Constitution.
Saleem Zia said that all opposition parties needed elections instead of 'selection', adding MQM's mandate was fake.
Basharat Mirza said all opposition parties were carrying out a peaceful struggle for holding fair and free elections in the country, particularly in Karachi.