Jamaat-e-Islami tells CEC to resign

Rehman says PTI, PDM 'not interested in the local government setup'

KARACHI:

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Karachi launched sit-in protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan, Sindh office in Karachi over objectionable conduct of the commission and prolonged delay in setting up a local government in the city.

A large number of JI workers as well as people belonging to all walks of life participated in the sit-in, demanding the ECP to put it's house in order and asking the chief election commissioner to resign over his failure to deliver his constitutional obligations.

The protestors, carrying placards and banners, chanted slogans against the ECP and demanded of the commission to act decisively against post-poll rigging by the Pakistan People Party, instead of playing the role of a facilitator.

JI Karachi chief Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman in his inaugural address said that the only function of the ECP was to hold elections but unfortunately the ECP was negating the purpose of its own inception.

He said that ironically both the regimes of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were not interested in the local government setup -- just because it provides basis for democracy. The JI was the only party in the country that was struggling for the local government elections in Karachi and other parts of the country.

He said that the PPP claimed to be a democratic party but its conduct has become nakedly fascist as it employed all nefarious tactics of post-poll rigging in order to deprive Karachiites of their mandate right under the nose of the ECP.

Rehman vowed to continue the sit-in till the schedule for local government elections in the remaining 11 UCs is not announced. He also vowed to safeguard each and every vote casted in favour of the JI.

He demanded of the ECP to announce schedule for the local government elections in the remaining 11 union councils in the city in accordance with the law and the constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 11^th, 2023.