KARACHI: While formally fielding the party candidate for the by-polls in NA-246 Azizabad constituency, Jamaat-i-Islami Sec­re­tary General Liaquat Baloch on Wednesday said that holding of transparent elections was a major challenge to the federal and provincial governments, civil and military establishments and the Election Commission of Pakistan.

While the JI and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf are coalition partners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the parties have fielded separate candidates for the Azizabad constituency by-poll.

Also read: MQM nominates ex-Hyderabad nazim as candidate for Azizabad by-poll

Mr Baloch said it was democratic right of the people to express their conscience by electing their representatives in free and fair polls, but it was a challenge considering that former chief election commissioner Fakharuddin G. Ibrahim admitted on record that he had failed to hold fair and free elections in Karachi.

The JI secretary general was addressing a press conference here at Idara Noor-i-Haq along with the party candidate, JI Naib Amir Rashid Naseem, and other party leaders Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, Younus Barai, Muslim Pervez, Abdul Wahab, Mohammad Asghar, Birjees Ahmad and Zahid Askari.

Mr Baloch said people should have the freedom to vote and support their representative as pressure tactics in the past had undermined democratic politics with mafias becoming powerful.

Know more: Eight PTI members among 27 file nomination papers for Azizabad NA seat

As a targeted operation was in progress in Karachi, the authorities must ensure transparent and fair elections, he added.

He said that Rashid Naseem, who was also one of the candidates in general elections of the May 11, 2013 from the same constituency, has been serving the people in different capacities.

Mr Baloch announced that the party would stage a huge public gathering on April 12 in connection with the by-polls in NA-246. It would be addressed by Pakistan JI chief Siraj-ul-Haq.

He said the people of Karachi deserved their basic rights of security to life and property. “According to a survey, conducted by different independent sources, 97 per cent people of Karachi want peace, educational, cultural and sports activities. Besides, peace in Karachi is also linked with the progress and development of country,” he added.

He said the JI did not believe in confrontation but democracy.

Referring to the confrontation between the MQM and the PTI, the JI secretary general said Karachi could not afford such situations and expressed his surprise over the report that a code of conduct was evolved in a meeting at Governor House that he said was the epicentre of all misdoings. He alleged that the governor was involved in backing terrorism in the city.

Mr Baloch asked the MQM and PTI leaderships to resolve the matters amicably according to democratic norms. He claimed his party had always adhered to a code of conduct of elections and would continue to do so in the future also.

He said that the JI had utilized all available resources for the welfare of the people of Karachi when it came into power. He referred to the services of former city mayor Abdul Sattar Afghani and Nazim Niamatullah Khan.

He said JI leaders and workers always sacrificed their lives for the restoration of peace to Karachi, but those who claimed to have the city mandate only provided a breakdown of law and order to its citizens.Replying to another question, he said that Rashid Nasim had already bagged more than 10,000 votes by the time the party announced boycott of the 2013 general elections.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2015

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