Moving on: PPP accepts results despite reservations, says Amin Fahim

Says protests and sit-ins were not a solution, urges parties to respect peoples’ mandate.

KARACHI:

Pakistan Peoples Party-Parliamentarians President Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said that the results of the 2013 elections are similar to those of 1997 and his party has accepted these despite its reservations.

He attributed whatever seats the PPP was able to secure to the political thinking of President Asif Ali Zardari and leadership of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

“Elections are over and it is now time to move ahead. All the parties should respect the mandate of one another,” Fahim said while talking to the media at the luncheon hosted by PPP provincial President Qaim Ali Shah and MPA-elect Owais Muzaffar in the honour of newly-elected members of the national and provincial assemblies.

He said the PPP’s success was the success of the people. Dharnas and protests will not resolve the problem of the disputed results.

He said that all the democratic forces would have to play their role in finding solutions to the problems faced by the people and strengthening democracy in the country.



Senator Raza Rabbani, Syed Naveed Qamar, Nisar Khoro, Sharjeel Memon and 31 newly-elected members of the National Assembly and 68 newly-elected members of the Sindh Assembly were present on the occasion.

MPA-elect Owais Muzaffar said that two PPP candidates for the Sindh Assembly were defeated by design in Thatta. He added that the PPP would seek legal course in this respect.

He said that the PPP provincial government would give priority to provision of drinking water, health and education. He said all the parties should join hands for the country’s progress and development.

Senator Rabbani conceded that his party committed certain mistakes that might have caused the defeat. He said that his party would take steps to make up for these mistakes. He said the PPP would sit on the opposition benches in the National Assembly and would continue its struggle in a democratic way.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2013.