Elections in Karachi: APC members call for army supervision

The All Parties Conference was called by the Sindh interim govt.

KARACHI: Members of 17 political parties demanded that elections in Karachi should be held under army’s supervision, Express News reported on Tuesday.

The demand was made during a session of All Parties Conference (APC).

The APC was called by the interim Sindh government in response to the growing pre-poll terror attacks in the city.

Election offices and members of left-wing parties particularly Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) have been regularly targeted by criminal elements.

Earlier on April 30, former Sindh coalition partners stood together in a rare show of unity at the Karachi press club. Their joint message was that, despite repeated attacks, they were firm in their desire to contest the elections, which they demanded must be held on time.

The leaders appealed to the United Nations and international human rights organisations to see how liberal parties were being attacked, and how only those parties who had ‘soft corners’ for the religious extremists were being allowed to campaign.

They called for a free and transparent election and said that parties should have right to campaign in secure environment.