We are still vying to form our own government. PHOTO: FILE
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Wednesday announced it would stage protests across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on May 17 against alleged rigging during elections.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had already vowed to protest on Tuesday against widespread rigging in K-P and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). However, the decision to hold protests on Friday was taken at the party’s provincial general council meeting at the JUI-F Secretariat.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, JUI-F K-P chief Sheikh Amanullah and senior vice amir Maulana Attaur Rehman said the council had reviewed the electoral process and call for a protest was given after thorough consideration. “All district chapters of the party should arrange peaceful protests,” said Amanullah.
He said the JUI-F had also appointed former K-P Assembly opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani as the party’s parliamentary leader in the assembly, while Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s younger brother Maulana Lutfur Rehman has been appointed deputy opposition leader.
Attaur Rehman accused the authorities of rigging the polls, claiming the seats had been divided well before the elections.
He said the JUI-F rejects Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) victory, adding it was not the public’s mandate. “We were considering Awami National Party and Pakistan Peoples Party to be our opponents. The PTI was not even considered as a third contender.”
Criticising the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Rehman said it had failed to conduct transparent elections. “Various political parties are protesting against rigging in Karachi, Punjab and K-P; the ECP is responsible for this,” he said.
Rehman also demanded re-elections in some constituencies of Fata, claiming their polling agents were kidnapped on Election Day, ballot papers were misprinted and many polling stations were located in far-flung areas.
Rehman announced in case PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) form the government, the JUI-F will sit in the opposition. “However, we are still vying to form our own government,” he added.
In response to a question, he claimed the JUI-F was the most popular party in the province and the seats it has won are purely on the basis of merit.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has also joined the chorus, claiming rigging occurred across the province on Election Day.
The PPP’s strength was reduced to a mere two seats in the provincial assembly from an impressive 30 secured in the 2008 polls.
Almost all of the party’s stalwarts lost their seats on May 11, prompting Provincial President Anwar Saifullah Khan to take responsibility for the party’s pathetic performance and tender his resignation.
However, the PPP followed in JUI-F’s footsteps and declaring the elections were rigged across K-P on Wednesday. PPP Provincial Information Secretary Liaqat Shabab said the party’s senior leadership, after having met on Wednesday, had decided to hold a protest against the election results.
“These elections were the worst-rigged in history, and we are going to launch protests against this manipulation,” said Shabab. The party would also record their protest with the ECP. Shabab further said the PPP would contact other parties including the JUI-F, in order to persuade them to demonstrate against the results, adding his party’s leadership had also decided to demand re-elections in K-P.
Answering a question regarding Anwar Saifullah’s replacement, Shabab said the provincial president had resigned on moral grounds, but his decision had not been accepted by the party’s leadership yet.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2013.
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