A 10-party alliance on Monday showed concerns over the growing number of "fake" blasts in the city, urging the interim government to step up efforts to ensure peace on polling day. The alliance showed distrust in Election Commission of Pakistan for not meeting their demands "to make polls process peaceful and transparent".
Speaking at joint press conference held at Idara-e-Noor Haq, JI Karachi Chief, Muhammad Hussain Mehanati, PML-N's Saleem Zia, JUP's Shah Owais Noorani and others vowed to fight the polls peacefully despite fears of violence in the city. Reiterating their demands, they sought deployment of army men inside the polling stations to help stop rigging in the elections. They said their election offices were being set ablaze by MQM, which also kidnapped and tortured their workers to prevent them from running election drive.
They also showed no-confidence in police, saying "police in the city is politicised and will work for ANP, MQM and PPP during polls day". They said the government should speed up the process to station army men on polling day. About increasing incidents of violence in the city, they said that "fake" bombs are striking to panic the voters and bar them from voting." They demanded of the caretaker government to probe into the blasts to expose people behind the blasts.
"MQM is planning to take control of polling stations and rig election to change results," they said, and dispelled the impression that the 10-party alliance is not intact. They vowed to sacrifice for the peace in the city and assured their voters to be steadfast against violence. "We will resolve Karachi's problems and restore peace," they said, adding the entire city is "sensitive" and needs army deployment. They feared bloodshed on elections day, besides rigging of polls. "If this election were rigged, it will be the last election of Karachi to take place as no one will trust in polls ever," they warned, saying the continued blasts in the city are planned just to keep the voters off from voting.