KARACHI, April 29: In a rare show of unity against a common enemy, the PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Awami National Party declared on Monday that they would not be deterred by terrorist threats and would contest the May 11 elections at all costs. They alleged that the terrorists were being patronised by ‘national and international establishments’.

Persistent bomb attacks on their workers, rallies and election offices have forced the three liberal, democratic parties to set aside their differences and work out a plan to meet the threat. Their leaders met on Sunday night and decided to announce their plan the following day. A press conference held at the press club on Monday was addressed by PPP’s Taj Haider, MQM’s Haider Abbas Rizvi and ANP’s Bashir Jan.

They categorically stated that their parties wanted elections to be held on time and were determined not to leave the ground for “terrorists and their political wings”. They would not surrender to terrorists and religious extremists.

The representatives of the three parties accused state institutions of helping terrorists to target ‘leftwing parties’ and lashed out at other parties for maintaining a ‘criminal silence’. They criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan for preventing progressive people from contesting elections and the caretaker government and law-enforcement agencies for their failure to rein in terrorists.

Bashir Jan went one step further and he said he feared the ECP, caretaker government and terrorists had a common agenda; either they did not want to hold the elections or wanted results of their choice.

Taj Haider said the PPP wanted elections held on time. He said that some western countries did not like the gas pipeline deal with Iran and the handing over of Gwadar port to China.

He condemned terrorist attacks on the three parties and said the ECP and caretakers had failed to act against ‘a few hundred’ militants. Referring to a media report, he said the ECP had allowed 55 candidates whose names were on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, but barred progressive people like columnist Ayaz Amir from contesting elections.

The PPP leader said the terrorist outfits were militant wings of rightwing parties which were carrying out their election campaigns without any fear or hurdle.

He said these parties and militant groups had been previously nurtured by the West and now when Nato forces were about to leave Afghanistan, western powers were trying to hand over the region again to them to further their nefarious designs.

Haider Rizvi of the MQM said moderate, liberal and progressive parties were under attack and extremists were freely targeting them in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. He said terrorists and religious fanatics had been given a free hand to attack the ANP, PPP and MQM and the caretaker government, ECP and law-enforcement agencies were playing the role of silent spectators.

Mr Rizvi said he believed the international establishment was supporting the rightwing parties in Pakistan because it wanted a safe exit from Afghanistan. Referring to the plan for withdrawal of Nato troops, he said the national and international establishments should understand that hasty decisions would not help anyone and a similar decision in the past to leave Afghanistan had resulted in 9/11 and 7/7 terrorist attacks.

Bashir Jan said that instead of patronising rightwing parties, the United States and Britain should prevail upon the ECP and the caretaker government to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in Pakistan.

He appealed to people to reject terrorists and their political wings and tell the world that the people of Pakistan were against extremism.