PESHAWAR, March 14: Despite fears of possible sabotage acts during the next general elections, the leaders of different political parties believe that holding polls is the only way to steer the country out of the prevalent crises.

However, local traders are of the view that political parties should develop consensus for restoration of peace prior to general elections in the country.

As political parties are kicking off election drives, the aspiring candidates have also started changing loyalties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to get tickets of different political parties for the upcoming general elections.

However, many of the would-be candidates are worried about their safety as they fear occurrence of sabotage acts during the electioneering.

Several members of the ruing parties said that the problem might get aggravated if police did not provide security to public meetings because hundreds of political workers had already lost their lives during the past five years.

“Security is a serious concern for all but all the politicians should sit together to devise a plan to resolve the issue,” Arbab Tahir, provincial general secretary of Awami National Party, told Dawn.

He said that his party sacrificed hundreds of its workers including elected representatives to protect masses. “The all-party conference, organised by us, was also aimed at restoration of peace,” he said.

Mr Tahir said that there must be fears and problems during the elections but political parties should devise a code of ethics for carrying out election drive in a peaceful manner.

He said that elections were essential for strengthening democracy as people would elect representatives of their choice. He claimed that many politicians would join ANP soon.

Similarly, Pakistan People’s Party’s provincial coordination secretary Syed Ayub Shah said that holding elections was the only way to steer the country out of the existing crises.

However, he said that candidates should keep it in mind that they could face problems as terrorist acts during the electioneering could not be ruled out. “I think that situation will remain under control to great extent if concrete steps are taken by the government,” he hoped.

Mr Shah said that his party had never felt frightened and held public meetings in all the provinces but it was a fact that there was fear among the people. He said that the tragic incidents occurred in Quetta and Karachi were live examples of the increasing sabotage acts in the country.

About the strengthening of his party, Mr Shah said that many people including former minister Iftikhar Jhagra, Liaquat Gilani, Pakhtunyar in Bannu, MPA Nighat Orakzai and MPA Shazia Aurangzeb joined PPP recently and the process would continue till elections.

Jamaat-i-Islmai provincial secretary information Advocate Israrullah Khan said that the only solution to overcome the lawlessness was to hold talks with the stakeholders otherwise no one could guarantee holding of peaceful elections.

He alleged that government was responsible for the existing grave situation. The rulers had to seek solution to the problem, he said, adding elections should not be delayed.

Similarly, Intikhab Chamkani of Pakistan Muslim League-Q also stressed the need for holding talks with stakeholders to restore peace so that the next government could take effective steps for welfare of people. He claimed that despite the prevailing uncertain situation many people from other parties in different districts had joined his party. He said that elections were the only way to bring prosperity in the country.

The businessmen like president of Anjuman Tajiran Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sharafat Ali Mubarak and Khalid Ayub, head of Karwan, an organisation of traders, said that rulers were not sincere in restoration of peace otherwise they would have held talks with the stakeholders during the last five years. Mr Mubarak said that elections were essential but all parties should unite to devise a policy for restoration of peace otherwise business activities would further decrease.

Mr Ayub said that the rulers disappointed the nation and that’s why the turn out remained very low in every election. He said that only politicians could not restore peace unless all stakeholders including law enforcement agencies, army, tribal people and religious scholars joined hands for the purpose.