A senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Zafar Ali Shah on Thursday announced to boycott the January 8 polls, a day after PPP stalwart Aitzaz Ahsan pulled himself out of the election race in protest against November 3 extra constitutional steps.
"Yes, I have decided to boycott the coming elections because I can not disassociate myself from the lawyers' struggle for restoration of judiciary," Shah, who is also a senior lawyer, said. Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Aitzaz Ahsan, who is under house arrest, also announced on Wednesday to boycott the forthcoming polls.
"I am also a senior lawyer and I firmly believe that it was not a right decision to contest elections under the present circumstances when there is no constitution and judges are detained," PML-N leader added. Shah said he had filed nomination papers for three national assembly seats one from Islamabad (NA-49) and the others from Rawalpindi (NA-55 and NA-56).
"I was seriously considering to contest elections from two seats NA-49 and NA-56 but now I am withdrawing my papers from all three seats," he replied. He praised the lawyers' struggle for the restoration of judiciary and supremacy of the constitution under the leadership of Aitzaz Ahsan.
To a question, Shah said he had not violated any policy of his party and being a lawyer he had no option but to join legal fraternity's anti-Musharraf movement. "I have not violated party's any policy. In fact PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has been demanding restoration of judiciary from the very first day. There is no reason that my party would expel me," he maintained.
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