Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman on Thursday has said that there is no viable evidence of the establishment’s neutrality in political matters.
”The judges observed that the Constitution did not provide any provision for secret voting in the Senate,” he noted merely two days after his meeting with PDM’s joint candidate for the upcoming Senate elections and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Yousaf Raza Gillani.
The former premier, after his meeting with the PDM chief, had said that he believes the establishment is neutral. This statement was echoed a day earlier by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari during a presser in Lahore.
While the PPP chairman had stated a day earlier that the PDM is as united as it has ever been, the president of the anti-government coalition today contradicted his cohort’s words. The court should not become a party in the case, he maintained.
The JUI-F chief echoed the PDM’s running mantra of hosting a long march towards the end of next month and promised that the incumbent government would be surprised by the outcome of the polls wherein the PDM would emerge victoriously.
The rigging in Kurram Agency and Daska is unacceptable; bogus votes were found in the Agency,” he said, adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) candidate must be declared as ineligible for the polls.
“We reject such results.”
He observed that the results were changed and the undeserving candidate was made to win. “In the by-elections, officials of the Election Commission (ECP) were either involved or helpless, but the electoral authority, instead of taking a notice, has held the results of the polls,” he said.
“ECP should make its decision,” the veteran politician demanded, saying, “rigging is what it is regardless of who’s involved. The authority should announce re-polls in both the constituencies.”
PDM President and JUI-F chief Fazl met with former premier Gillani on Monday and both the leaders had discussed the alliance’s chances in the National Assembly (NA).
After the meeting, the JUI-F chief had told media persons that the PDM is united in support of Gillani. He went on to claim that the PDM has 12 votes more than the required strength to win the Senate seat from the federal capital – a claim that the ruling alliance may challenge in the coming days. Fazl had purported that, ever since the announcement of the former premier’s nomination, there has been panic in the government circles.
“The government is showing distrust and fear in its ranks. Gillani has also been our prime minister and, if he is elected as a senator, it will be a matter of honour for him. PDM stands united to support Gillani and we will fight this battle successfully,” Fazl had asserted.
Last week, PPP Cochairperson Asif Ali Zardari and Fazl had exchanged views on the upcoming Senate polls and the anti-government long march in a telephonic conversation.
The week prior to that, Fazl had also discussed the country’s political situation including a long march with the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
No one can deny that boots brought Khan to power and are not neutral.