Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is out campaigning for votes even as the public awaits the final decision by her and Nawaz Sharif about the outcome of the eight member joint committee to campaign or boycott the elections.
Be that as it may, her recurring theme at the hustings has been her fears that the present regime is hell bent on rigging the elections. Talking to the media during her visit to the Mausoleum of Peer of Golra Sharif in Rawalpindi, she warned the regime against rigging the forthcoming polls saying "an attempt to manipulate elections would lead to a countrywide movement by the opposition parties."
She said her party sought a peaceful transition to democracy through fair and free elections and had decided to participate in the elections under protest.
Nevertheless, she also hinted that the regime had devised schemes for rigging and this fact had weighed with the opposition parties to plan a movement in case their demands for free and fair polls were not met.
She also said that initially the regime wanted to run away from the elections by imposing emergency but under great pressure had to give a date for elections. It had, therefore, now drawn up plans to rig the polls, but the opposition parties were drawing up a charter of minimum demands for free and fair elections and will give the regime a date by which to implement it, she added.
"If the demands were not met and the rigging plan was pursued the opposition parties would launch a massive movement," she warned.
Although it is being said that she appeared not to favour the reinstatement of deposed judges, this fact achieved greater clarity when she condemned the move to deprive the sacked judges from their right to pension. In this regard in reply to a question, she said that she thought the issue of sacked judges should be decided by the next parliament.
Benazir also met the PPP candidate for the NA seat from Islamabad Dr Israr Shah who had also come to the Darbar. Israr Shah had lost both legs in the bomb blast in the aborted meeting of former CJ Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry in the district courts Islamabad in July last.
The former prime minister paid glowing tributes to Dr Israr Shaha for his courage and sacrifices for democracy. She said that the courage of Israr Shah despite his disability was a source of inspiration for all those struggling for democracy and rule of law. She called upon the people of Islamabad to vote for Israr Shah in the forthcoming elections. She also said that she would soon visit the central election office of Dr Israr Shah.
While talking to the Peer Ghulam Moinuddin she paid tributes to the saints and soofis for playing a great role in the spread of Islam through their message of love, peace and harmony.
PPP Secretary General Raja Pervez Ashraf also spoke on the occasion and paid tributes to the family of Peer of Golra Sharif. She was received at the Darbar by Peer Ghulam Moeenul Haq Gillani of Golra Sharif. After visiting the Mazar she also visited Peer Shah Abdul Haq Gillani the Sajjada Nasheen of Golra Sharif.
Benazir was accompanied by Raja Pervez Ashraf, Chaudhy Yasin Senior Vice President of the PPP AJK, former MNAs Sherry Rehman, Ms Naheed and former senator Farhatullah Babar.
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