Pakistan army personnel. PHOTO: PPI/FILE
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.
COMMENTS (12)
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Is not surprising, the parties which enjoyed the government during last 10 years, crying that it is freely doing its election campaign and people of karachi not seen even one street, which doesn't has its flags.
@Pakistani
All other parties were asking to deploy army from today till election day. MQM/ANP/PPP opposed it and said that army should be only deployed on polling stations and only on election day. It's quite surprising that if you want safety of your party members and want to do campaigning, then why would you be against extra protection in the form of Army. But we all know the answer to that, don't we?
@Afzal Khan: blabbering without any information or fact doesn't make you cool. MQM ANP and PPP are the ones who are persuading army to be deployed in Karachi. MQM's Nabeel Gabool has even filed a petition regarding this in EC.
@Sam: then will you protect citizen??
There is one thing very clear.
Either the Army will be deputed to control the law and order situation on polling day,or there will be no election on May 11, 2013.
Plz get rid of incompetent police and rangers. They cant protect citizens and are just busy saving the corrupt and murderers.
As usual ET selective reporting, why don't u mention that APC parties demanded Army to be called and were opposed by PPP, ANP & MQM. Any one with brain know why :)
Was TTP invited or represented by PTI?
Army should be deployed in all the polling station in karachi in order to have free & fair election ECP should get serious on this matter
Then there will be only fifteen percent voting in Karachi
Now, if these political parties had not destroyed police in their respective jurisdiction in Karachi with political appointments, and had they not used police as a personal militia and had actually helped the police to de-weaponise and cleanse Karachi of gangsters, mafias and taliban alike, then I could perhaps, understand their demands. . Now that they are being targeted, there is no one to blame except for themselves. No political worker deserves to die, but the blame for the present chaos lies squarely on these political parties.
What further proof do we need that election booths must be supervised all over Karachi?
All my freinds and relatives from Karachi tell me that on election day a leading party gunmen send them back home saying 'your vote is cast already, go home'. do we need this kind of democracy in our biggest city??