Ministers’ tirades against ECP: Fazl, Sajid call govt fascist

LAHORE: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith (MJAH) President Senator Prof Sajid Mir have strongly condemned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government threats to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Chief Election Commissioner (ECE) and termed it naked fascism.

They said many federal and provincial ministers began hurling threats at the ECP soon after it rejected the electronic voting machines (EVMs), adding that ministers’ threats to set the ECP on fire was such an aggression which even the military dictators did not exhibit during their rule.

They warned that it was a naked aggression against one of the main institutions of the country, and could prove disastrous for the already suffering democracy and the democratic institutions of Pakistan.

In a telephonic call, they discussed the country's political situation on Saturday.

They decided to step up the mass contact campaign in view of the government’s intentions to use every possible tactic to rig the polls.

Both the leaders decided to hold the PDM public meeting at Dhobi Ghat Faisalabad on Oct 16, which would be hosted by Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith.

They also appointed MJAH political affairs nazim Chaudhry Kashif Nawaz Randhawa as convener of the public meeting, who had started preparing for the arrangements for the event.

Both the leaders lamented that Imran Khan government was bent upon making sure that it should put in place enough apparatus to rig the coming elections under legal cover.