Local bodies elections: ANP, JUI-F accuse govt of using state machinery

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUIF) on Tuesday asked the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government to desist from utilizing government machinery and officials to manipulate results of the local government elections slated for December 19.

Speaking at a press conference, ANP provincial spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour and JUI-F former senator Ghulam Ali said the government would be responsible for the consequences if the government tried to rig the election.

Flanked by the office-bearers and supporters both the ANP and JUIF leaders said they had information from reliable sources that the government had planned to rig the local bodies election. They said that they would not allow the rulers to repeat the story of the Dhaska by-election.

The ANP and JUIF leaders said the government servants were drawing salaries from the national exchequers and they were not the workers of the PTI. They said the government servants were also affiliated with different political parties and they were aware of the government plans regarding the election.

Samar Bilour said they would also stage a protest demonstration outside Peshawar Press Club today (Wednesday) to warn the government to desist from indulging in illegal activities. She said they had invited other opposition parties and they would come to register to protest against the illegal activities of the government.

She asked the chief election commissioner to take notice of the government’s plans and ensure free and fair election.

To a question, Samar Bilour said her party did not support the political role of the army, saying it was the responsibility of the civil administration to hold the polls. She said she did not support army deployment as was demanded by the PPP leader Asma Alamgir.

JUIF’s Ghulam Ali, whose son Zubair Ali was contesting election for the Peshawar mayor slot,

said the government had failed on all fronts and the PTI ministers and advisers never talked about the growing price-hike, unemployment and lawlessness.

He said the people would reject the PTI in the election. He said the government was aware of the sentiments of the people and that was why it had planned to rig the election. He warned to throw out the government officials from the polling stations if they tried to create hurdles for voters.