After the elections, the successful candidates will be purchased and sold like cattle, says Dr Tahirul Qadri
LAHORE: Tehreek-i-Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Wednesday announced that his party will stage a sit-in across the country on May 11.
He was addressing a press conference at the Minhaj office. He said the election commission had corrupt officials who wanted to protect a corrupt electoral system and the judiciary was in cahoots with them.
Qadri said the government had previously agreed to his demands during the sit-in on December 23, but later backed out of them. “Neither had the time given for scrutiny was extended nor Articles 62 and 63 were enforced properly,” he said.
Political leaders, who had been tax defaulters for years, had been given the go-ahead to contest elections. Several fake degree holders were also contesting elections, said Qadri.
The election commission required each National Assembly candidate to open a bank account with Rs1,500,000 for campaign expenditure and each provincial assembly candidate Rs1,000,000. Clause-21 of the code of conduct stipulates: no transaction towards the election expenses shall be made through an account other than the account opened for the purpose.
However, the rule was not being respected by most candidates, said Qadri. The election commission had recently asked the PEMRA to provide it information regarding the money spent by parties on TV ad campaigns. “Major political parties have spent as much as Rs2 billion on these ad campaigns,” he said.
In the past, several parties have sought financial support for their campaigns from various countries.
This time too, several neighbouring countries and others have funded the major political parties’ campaigns, he said.
“Who will raise the question of sovereignty and autonomy once these politicians come to power?” he said. He would provide details about these donations to the ISI if it was interested, said Qadri.
He said that Awami Tehreek workers would stage a sit-in at several points in the city. He would personally lead protest in front of the Punjab Assembly on May 11, he said. After the elections, the successful candidates would be purchased and sold like cattle, Qadri said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2013.
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@Ruby:
We're not threatening anyone. We know these elections will be rigged. Those who are talking of change and revolution through this election, will be very upset on the 12th when they see the results and then they'll realise that this election system does not allow for anyone to compete apart from the status-quo.
Instead of screaming of rigged elections post-elections, we will present our viewpoint on election day, we'll tell everyone how rigged these elections are going to be and how these elections and its results cannot help the public. When your assembly compromises of those who take funding from other countries, are they capable enough to create an impartial foreign policy? A foreign policy based solely on the interests of Pakistan? I very much doubt it. Unless you change this whole electoral process and apply strict legal rules, an individual who has no money or little money, cannot competently contest. That's our viewpoint and we'll put that forward for the record, on the 11th.
Will somebody please tell Quadri saab that there won't be anyone in Assembly on election day to threaten?
Enough of your antics. Please do not create a situation. Let the Elections take place in peace.