‘General elections should not be conducted like Senate elections’

JI’s Sirajul Haq says political parties, democracy being held hostage by influential families

HYDERABAD:  

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal's (MMA) leader and Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Senator Sirajul Haq said that if the general elections are also conducted similarly to the recent Senate polls, the outcome will be disappointing. Talking to the media at the Hyderabad Press Club on Sunday, he said the rich travelling in land cruisers and planes will be seen in the 2018 elections.

"The people who got themselves elected to the Senate by spending tens of millions of rupees will prefer to serve their own interests rather than those of the people." He deplored that the Election Commission of Pakistan played the part of a silent spectator in the Senate polls and expressed sadness that the chief justice of Pakistan did not take notice of it.

"The Senate polls have become an indelible stain on democracy." He claimed that the leaders of several parties have complained that their legislators have been sold. The JI chief suggested that the newly elected senators should be made to take oaths to declare whether or not they used money to buy their votes.



Haq said if the government, Parliament and administration fail to discharge their responsibilities, the judiciary's action is justified. He said some rich and influential families have held political parties and democracy hostage.

The JI chief said that the MMA will be made functional before the elections at the provincial and district levels across the country. He said the alliance will field candidates in all constituencies.