Safety concerns: ECP, govt under fire over attacks on political parties

Candidates say the violence may spillover to Election Day.

PESHAWAR:

The attack on a car headed to an Awami National Party (ANP) meeting in Yakkatoot on Tuesday has triggered fresh fears over the security of election candidates across the province.

The blast took place near a car, killing at least 16 persons including police officials. The intended targets of the suicide attack were ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and nephew Haroon Bilour, who were attending a party meeting taking place nearby.

Others who have been attacked in the recent past include Arbab Ayub Jan, ex-minister and ANP candidate for NA-4 Peshawar; Masoom Shah Bacha ex-advisor to former K-P chief minister and ANP candidate from PK- 21 Charsadda;  Rahmanullah, ANP candidate from NA-21 Swabi; Adnan Wazir, ANP candidate for PK-72 Bannu; and Zulfiqar Afghani, PPP candidate from NA-1 Peshawar.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Arbab Ayub Jan hit out at the federal government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for its failure to control the situation. He said the government had not provided the candidates with security and they were using their own private guards.

“I, however, think the provision of security is not an issue since we have hired private guards who are well armed,” he argued. But Jan maintained it was a failure of the government that their intelligence network was not able to intercept terror plots: “They could inform us about the possible attacks in advance so we would take precautionary measures.”

Militants attacked and killed ANP activist Mukarram Shah as he was en route to Mingora, while Jan and Masoom Shah Bacha have been targeted in two separate bomb blasts earlier this month.

Jan pointed out something which is a cause for concern in many quarters – the attacks could potentially extend to polling stations on Election Day. The best remedy, in his opinion, was to deploy the army.

“The sole purpose of the federal government and the ECP is to provide a level playing field for free and fair elections in the country – not to make policies or do something else.  But they have failed completely,” Jan observed. The ANP is the largest party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and the government is cornering it, making elections a one-sided process, he claimed.

However, a police official on condition of anonymity said it was not possible for the police to provide protection to every candidate.

“There are 15 constituencies in Peshawar district alone, and every party including the ANP, PPP, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and Jamaat-e- Islami (JI) have 15 candidates each, not to mention the 40 independent candidates,” said the police official.

“The best way forward is to allow these people to hire private guards and get permits for automatic weapons from the government or the Election Commission.”

And as he pointed out, the police have already announced every candidate is allowed to hire up to five private guards who can carry automatic weapons with valid permits.

Amanullah Khan, PML-N’s candidate for PK-10, remains unsatisfied. He criticised the police and ECP, saying he was yet to receive the go-ahead for the permissible weapons.

Amanullah claimed ANP candidate Khusdil Khan has been provided with police mobiles from the local police station to escort him to public rallies. “My brother [the late] Dilawar Khan was the head of Adezai peace militia and we have been attacked repeatedly, but no one has provided us with any security so far,” Amanullah argued.

An Election Commission official said a meeting between the police, ECP and Home Department was held on Monday. Security for candidates was discussed in depth, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 17^th, 2013.