Key components of former ruling coalition - Pakistan People's Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) on Monday declared that they would never be cowed down by Taliban attacks on them. Forging a pre-election alliance against Taliban's threats to these parties, they would not quit the election race.
At a joint press conference held at Karachi Press Club, the representatives of PPP, MQM and ANP including Taj Haider, Haider Abbas Rizvi and Bashir Jan said western powers were supporting right-wing political parties to hand over the next government to them on a platter. "Terrorist organisations, which attack political parties, are the armed wings of the right-wing parties and want to sideline liberal parties from on going election process," said Taj Haider.
He said recent attacks were not just a law and order issue. It is an overt ideological divide between progressive and democratic parties and those who are the proponents and promoters of extremism and terrorism, according to him. "Under a preplanned conspiracy the US, the UK and western countries are supporting right-wing parties to hand the next government over to them," he added.
He also accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of throwing progressive candidates out of election race in the name of scrutiny, while at the same time allowing some "terrorists" to contest election. Citing media reports, Taj Haider claimed that the ECP had cleared the candidature of more than 55 terrorists, who were enlisted in the Schedule 4, to participate in the upcoming general election. He also questioned the performance of caretaker government and ECP. "We are unable to understand that government and ECP are not doing anything to control the situation and provide a level playing field to all parties," he said.
"International community and western countries should exert pressure on the election commission and caretaker government for a fair and transparent election instead of supporting the right-wing parties," said Haider Abbas Rizvi. He said that presently only moderate political forces were in the grip of terrorism, while right-wing parties were carrying out their election campaigns without fear of terror.
He further said that MQM had rendered a lot of sacrifices so far. According to him, 65 workers of MQM have been killed in different terrorist attacks since March 1, 2013. "There is no role of ECP, caretaker governments and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) yet to be seen in order to ensure or provide security to candidates and workers of PPP, MQM and ANP," Rizvi added.
"We need to remind national and international establishments not to take any decision in a hurry; otherwise incidents like 9/11 and 7/7 could not occur in future," he said and added that establishment must also not lose sight of Pakistan's strategic importance as in 2014 there would be Nato forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan. "Election Commission has completely failed; it's not even able to implement its code of conduct," said Basheer Jan.
"In the current scenario, we are bound to believe that the ECP, caretaker government and terrorists are on the same page," he claimed. The ruling coalition government had implemented constitutional reforms like provincial autonomy and institutional empowerment during its five-year tenure, he added.
He said despite the fact that Taliban had taken the responsibility of recent attacks; the law enforcement agencies seemed to have failed or they were not deliberately arresting them. This is clear indication that some element want to out the liberal parties out of ongoing election process, according to him. "We believe in the electoral process and to participate in the general election at all cost," he added. PPP, MQM and ANP also urged caretaker government and ECP work towards ensuring them a level-playing field in terms of election campaign. On the occasion, PPP leader Waqar Mehdi; Raza Haroon, Sagheer Ahmed, Wasay Jalil and Advocate Altaf of MQM and Niaz Ahmed of ANP were also present.
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