PPP decides to boycott presidential elections
Raza Rabbani says date set by Supreme Court did not make sense logistically.
Presidential candidate Senator Raza Rabbani. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has announced to boycott the presidential elections according to presidential candidate Raza Rabbani during an emergency press conference, Express News reported on Friday.
Raza Rabbani expressed concern over the fact that the Supreme Court decided the earlier date for the election as July 30 instead of August 6, whereas the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is an independent body.
“Today’s decision is a decision of our struggle”, Senator Raza Rabbani said. He further went on to say that this move by the Supreme Court and the ECP was seen a move towards “one-unit”, which he considered dangerous.
Rabbani further stated that the dates did not make sense logistically as the candidates are expected to stay in Islamabad till the scrutiny is over, visit all the provincial assemblies to ask for votes once free and then return to Islamabad to cast their vote.
He said that it was unfair that not all parties were heard like the PML-N and that they should have been given the chance to discuss and decide the date.
Talking to the Express Tribune, ANP senator Haji Muhammad Adeel said that ANP would also boycott the election due to the change in election schedule. He said that his members would not cast their vote in any assembly.
‘No objection’
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s presidential candidate Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed while speaking to Express News said, “I didn’t have an objection with the Supreme Court’s decision then, and I don’t have an objection now.”
According to Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, the Supreme Court is due to send out notices to only those who have a “vested interest”. The ECP falls in to that category; however the 24 presidential candidates do not.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has announced to boycott the presidential elections according to presidential candidate Raza Rabbani during an emergency press conference, Express News reported on Friday.
Raza Rabbani expressed concern over the fact that the Supreme Court decided the earlier date for the election as July 30 instead of August 6, whereas the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is an independent body.
“Today’s decision is a decision of our struggle”, Senator Raza Rabbani said. He further went on to say that this move by the Supreme Court and the ECP was seen a move towards “one-unit”, which he considered dangerous.
Rabbani further stated that the dates did not make sense logistically as the candidates are expected to stay in Islamabad till the scrutiny is over, visit all the provincial assemblies to ask for votes once free and then return to Islamabad to cast their vote.
He said that it was unfair that not all parties were heard like the PML-N and that they should have been given the chance to discuss and decide the date.
Talking to the Express Tribune, ANP senator Haji Muhammad Adeel said that ANP would also boycott the election due to the change in election schedule. He said that his members would not cast their vote in any assembly.
‘No objection’
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s presidential candidate Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed while speaking to Express News said, “I didn’t have an objection with the Supreme Court’s decision then, and I don’t have an objection now.”
According to Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed, the Supreme Court is due to send out notices to only those who have a “vested interest”. The ECP falls in to that category; however the 24 presidential candidates do not.