‘Questionable’ elections: JI chief calls for fresh polls in Karachi

Says operation should target all criminals.

KARACHI: The political temperature in the metropolis is likely to soar in the days to come as  Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq has also backed Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf’s demand for fresh elections for all 20 National Assembly and 42 provincial seats of Karachi.

Addressing a news conference on Saturday at Idara-e-Noor-e-Haq, the JI headquarters in Karachi, Sirajul Haq said fresh elections in Karachi is the only way out of the ongoing crisis of law and order and is in the interest of economy.

“It is unfortunate that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was given a free hand to maintain its fake mandate through violence and rigging,  a fact that has been well-documented by the national and international media,” claimed the JI chief.

“This selection on the pretext of elections demands that the fake elections be revisited because the failure of the Election Commission Pakistan in holding a free and fair election had enraged common citizens with the electoral process.”



The JI chief said the civil and military establishment’s attempts to manipulate the people’s mandate caused citizens to lose faith in the democratic system. “Resultantly, undemocratic tendencies prevail in the society and this should be understood as the social-political reason behind Karachi’s deteriorating situation over the decades.”

Replying to a question about the ongoing operation in Karachi, Sirajul Haq said his party believed the operation should not target any specific entity or political party. “The law enforcers should target all criminal elements irrespective of their affiliation and rid the city of the all-pervading gun culture” added the JI chief.

Sirahul Haq added that the operation should be carried out within the ambit of the laws as any of extrajudicial measures would deteriorate the situation to an unprecedented level. “For this reason, the JI is not in favour of governor’s rule in Sindh,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2015.