ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties announced on Monday that they were cancelling their sit-in outside the Election Commission’s office in Islamabad, according to DawnNews.
Instead, the opposition said, it would merely march till the commission’s building.
The decision was announced at a PML-N parliamentary meeting, chaired by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). Other attendees included Sunni Tehreek, National Peoples Party, Sindh United Party, Jamhoori Watan Party and Awami Tehreek Sindh.
The participants of the meeting issued a declaration outlining their demands, but at the same time expressing full confidence in the ECP.
It was decided that opposition parties and the ECP will hold a meeting on February 6.
Later on Monday, members of the opposition reached the ECP office, where Jamaat-e-Islami's Liaquat Baloch presented the declaration to the commission's additional secretary.
A large numbers of opposition parties' workers and leaders were seen collected outside the building, where a heavy police contingent was also in place.
Earlier, on Sunday, PML-N Information Secretary Senator Mushahidullah Khan had said those participating in the march would stage a brief sit-in near the ECP building where some leaders would deliver speeches.
He had alleged that hurdles were being created in the way of the ECP which was struggling to implement the Supreme Court’s order about verification of voters’ list in Karachi.
Nisar had said on Jan 26 that free and fair elections would remain an elusive dream unless the ECP was given a free hand to carry out its tasks.
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