PPP also boycotts re-election in NA-250

ECP has not heard our grievances and we have been pushed to the wall, says Rashid Rabbani, PPP candidate for NA-250.


Hafeez Tunio May 18, 2013
PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: After Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jamaat-e-Islami, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also boycotted the re-election on 43 polling stations of NA-250 in Karachi. 

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)

Sabziwala | 10 years ago | Reply

@Ash: And ignore the poor majority? VIP mentality always looking for preferential treatment.

Syed A. Mateen | 10 years ago | Reply

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.

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