General Secretary, Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Jahangir Badar has alleged that PML-N is forming 'grand alliance' to weaken democracy instead of strengthening the parliamentary system.
Flanked by former Prime Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chadhry, President PPP AJK, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed and others while addressing a joint news conference on Monday at National Press Club, he said that PML-N was forming the grand alliance to safeguard and promote its own political interests.
Flaying the PLM-N, he said that issue of fake ballot papers in bye-elections of Samahni was severe negation of the Charter of Democracy (CoD). He said such practices were defacing democracy in Pakistan, adding if any leader thought that he could win elections through such practices he was not eyeing the reality.
He said dictators brought their blue-eyed in politics and polluted democracy, adding PPP waged struggle to protect and maintain the system. He alleged that the AJK Premier has also damaged democracy by using state machinery and police against PPP workers. He said the masses expressed solidarity with PPP by voting in its favour. He condemned incident of fake ballot papers, saying being a political worker the incident has hurt him.
Chaudhry Abdul Majeed said that 10,900 ballot papers were brought from Lahore for casting in bye-election of Samahni. He said four accused including Yasir Zafar, Hafiz Raja Sajid, Orangzeb and Tazeem w/o Mukhtaz Ahmed were arrested red-handed by the AJK police. He termed the incident of recovering fake ballot papers as open joke with democracy, saying PML-N wanted to repeat the exercise in bye-election, which it did in Punjab. He further said the incident was tantamount to harm the freedom movement in Kashmir.
Barrister Sultan alleged that the plan of fake ballot papers was prepared in Lahore. He said June 26 elections were held in free, fair and transparent manner. He said Sardar Attique being the PM was levelling allegations of poll rigging, adding such statements could harm the freedom. First time in the history of Pakistan, solidarity was expressed with people of occupied Kashmir from President and Prime Minister House, he said adding international institutions have declared the recent AJK elections as transparent.
Responding to a question about the nomination of AJK PM, Badar said that consultation was underway and decision would be taken with consensus. He called upon all the political parties to respect the opinion of masses, adding PPP would accept the forthcoming elections result in Pakistan.
To another question about harassing media persons in Karachi, he said confrontation with the media was not the policy of PPP. Responding to MQM's allegation of cutting telephone lines, he said that PPP values and respect all the political parties. He further said that reconciliatory policy has not failed but some coalition partners have quit the government. He said that a delegation of PPP met with Jamat Islami (JI) on Sunday. He further said that PPP wanted political solution to Karachi problems being economic hub of the country.