Election security: Bizenjo rules out support for army deployment

Says law enforcement agencies are up to the challenge.

QUETTA:

The National Party (NP) is convinced that policemen and levies personnel can provide adequate security during the May 11 elections, said Mir Hasil Bizenjo, the party’s vice president, on Saturday.

“We would never demand military intervention during the electoral process,” Bizenjo said. He was speaking at a joint news conference with Akram Shah, secretary general of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), about the withdrawal of NP’s candidate from NA-259 in favour of PkMAP leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai.

Despite the fragile security situation, Mir Hasil said the National Party would take part in the elections.

All tribes and nationalities should promote tolerance for the survival of Balochistan, according to Mir Hasil. “Mehmood Khan Achakzai is a man of honour for all of us, which is why we withdrew our candidate from NA-259,” he said.

Senator Akram Shah thanked NP over their candidate’s withdrawal in favour of his party’s leader.

In the past the two parties had been together in the form of All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) as well as Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (PONAM). Akram Shah pointed out that PkMAP strongly condemned the attacks on political candidates, emphasising that fair and transparent elections should be the interim government’s priority.

“Had there been sincere leadership during the last five years, things would not have been as dire as they are today,” the NP leader said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2013.