KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi staged a protest demonstration outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Sindh office Saturday, demanding of the commission to announce results of the local government elections in Karachi, hold the polls in the remaining union councils and decide the cases pending before it in connection with post-poll rigging.
A large number of chairmen and vice-chairmen-elect, party workers and political activists gathered outside the office of the commission in order to record their protest over the illogical delay.
Protesters carrying placards and banners, chanted slogans against the delay in completion of electoral process and rigging attempts. The protest sit-in initiated in the evening and continued till night.
JI Karachi Ameer Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman in his address said unfortunately all the so called mainstream political parties avoid local government setup and their behavior depict that the leaderships of dynastic and fascist parties are afraid of the local government setup better known as the nurseries of democracy.
He held the mindset responsible for delay in the local government polls in Karachi and said that the elections were delayed at least thrice under one pretext or another in order to keep Karachiites deprived of their due rights.
He continued that Karachiites made the JI the city’s number one party both in terms of popular votes and union councils, whereas Karachiites rejected the flag bearers of hatred and divide and smashed the dreams of PPP to lead the city.
The JI leader said that the fascist elements in the government were trying their level best to delay the electoral process so as to manipulate the results. However, he vowed, that the JI and Karachiites will safeguard their mandate at every cost.
He further said the JI doesn’t want to adopt any extreme route but the government needs to know that the JI has the capability to do so.
He also warned the ECP of the train march to Islamabad and a massive sit-in outside the ECP head office, if the commission fails to discharge its constitutional obligations. In his response to reported comments of some ECP members, he asked them to fulfill their duties if they want the JI to avoid course of agitation.
“What is the fault of Karachi? Why didn’t the ECP announce results of the local government polls even after passage of 26 days to the elections,” he asked while addressing to the commission.
Talking about the future of the city, he said that the JI voices the inspirations of Karachiites and represents all segments of the society. He said that the JI will take care of the entire city by taking all political and social quarters onboard.
JI leaders Osama Razi, Munem Zaffar, Saifuddin, Junaid Mukati and others also addressed the protesters.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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