PHOTO: FILE
The party, which had on Saturday evening urged its leaders, party workers and supporters to participate in the election, overturned its earlier decision.
“The election commission has not heard our grievances and we have been pushed to the wall. We are not satisfied with arrangements made by election commission,” Rashid Rabbani, the PPP candidate for NA-250, told The Express Tribune.
Rabbani said that he, along with senior party leaders, would further brief the public on reasons behind their boycott in a press conference to be held later on Saturday night.
Re-elections in 43 polling stations of NA-250 are set to take place on Sunday, amid tight security provided by police, Rangers and the army.
PPP’s Rabbani was contesting against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Arif Alvi for the national assembly seat. PPP’s Karamullah was running for PS-112 against PTI’s Khuram Sher Zaman , and the party had fielded Asad Hussain Zuberi on PS-113 against Samar Ali Khan of PTI.
Ironically, just a few hours before their volte face, the PPP General Secretary in Sindh Taj Haider in a statement to the press said that PPP had made historic sacrifices in the fight for democracy in Pakistan. The party has fought against the heaviest odds and excesses, but has never moved away from the electoral process, he added.
Haider urged all PPP office bearers, workers and supporters to fully participate in the polls at the 43 stations of NA-250, PS-112 and PS-113.
The PPP leader had stressed that boycotts of the electoral process are counterproductive and do not help the democratic cause. It is only through participation in elections that the excesses and crimes committed by anti-democratic elements can be brought out, he said.
More important than the fresh polls in NA-250 was carrying out investigations as to why polling could not be held at many stations on May 11, Haider urged.
Responsibility has to be fixed and the criminals punished according to the law, he added.
The PPP boyc0tt comes a day after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Jamaat-i-Islami boycotted the elections in the constituency. On Saturday, the Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen also boycotted re-elections in the constituency.
Among the prominent parties now contesting the elections in the constituency include the PTI on the national provincial assembly seats and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on a provincial assembly seat.
COMMENTS (11)
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@Ash: And ignore the poor majority? VIP mentality always looking for preferential treatment.
If all political parties are boycotting the election in NA-250, then there is no need to hold the election.
Let Dr. Alvi of PTI should be declared as winner of National Assembly Seat from NA-250, Karachi.
Looks like giving a face saving single seat in Karachi is the zenith of PTI. Establishment would give 4-6 seats to PTI to make it second party (even by a long distance) to claim at least leader of opposition post. This is one election that is under a neutral govt, neutral EC and yet for weeks the results are not done. In fact the results are changing with passage of each day.
PTI's sure shot seat was Imran's in Lahore. ;)
ECP making sure there's no contest. The logic behind not having it in all 180 stations beats me. The other stations also faced massive delays!
p.s. it's not about the army it's about being fair. You guys sound as if u want the army to cast the ballot too
@Ali S: Surefire! Sure, in the cradle of ECP. The typical sense of entitlement of the privileged class.
The new people in power should grant at least 5 years general age relaxation in the CSS exam. Youth has already suffered a lot. Now its time to bring amends and balm their wounds.
If and whenever true and fare election took it place in karachi and in sindh ppp,mqm will lost ,,,...
PPP helping MQM t
Every party is trying its hardest to make sure that PTI's only surefire seat in Karachi goes to waste. Won't happen INSHAA ALLAH
What's the creditability of this re-polling now in NA-250? ECP better declare Alvi as winning candidate, why waste resources for a day?
Everyone scared of facing PTI in free and fair elections held under army