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Today's Paper | November 27, 2024

Published 18 Jun, 2002 12:00am

Govt support to certain party irks Tahirul Qadri

LAHORE, June 17: The Pakistan Awami Tehrik says that the army government is going out of the way in supporting a particular political party and it seems that the October elections will not be held in a fair and transparent manner.

Talking to a group of reporters at the party’s secretariat here on Monday, PAT chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri said the state machinery, resources and development funds were being utilized to promote a particular party.

He said he had solid proofs that certain figures were being exempted from accountability process to field them for the next elections.

Asking the government to unveil the proposed constitutional amendment package at the earliest, Dr Qadri said that there were reports that the package was being introduced to create a balance between personalities and not institutions.

He told reporters that general council, the supreme decision making institution of the PAT, had some reservations about the very formation of the National Alliance.

He told questioners that the PAT had been assured that the alliance would comprise 12 to 14 parties. The other parties were to join it within a week after the formal announcement of the alliance. But this was never done.

Moreover, he said the council felt that except for the PAT no other constituent of the alliance had masses’ support, street power and organization so joining it would bore no fruit for the party.

The other pro-government parties had been criticizing the NA from the very beginning damaging its credibility and acceptability among the masses.

Dr Qadri said his party would take a final decision on association with the alliance on Tuesday (today) after which he would meet NA leaders to convey this decision to them.

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