Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam Amir Fazlur Rehman has said that parties should accept the decision of Election Commission about postponement of January 8 general elections till February 18. Talking to a private TV channel on Wednesday, he said.
The elections were delayed as the situation had become very tense and worst in the country, particularly in Sindh, after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. He suggested that the situation should be normalised to ensure the holding of polls on February 18.
About adopting a joint strategy with PML-N and PPP after delay of the polls, Fazl said that no one had yet contacted him. Jamaat-i-Islami Naib Amir Liaquat Baloch termed the delay in elections as "unconstitutional", and added that though there was tense situation, yet the affected party, Pakistan People's Party (PPP), wanted holding of the polls on January 8.
He noted that the Election Commission and caretaker government had already shown the tendency of delaying of polls as President Musharraf and his supporters were seeing defeat in the elections. He went on to say that the government would not hold the polls on February 18 and it would make any other excuse, and added that the JI still stands on decision of boycotting the elections.