KARACHI, May 17: Participants of All Parties Conference on Monday deplored violence in the recent by-elections, demanded sacking of the chief election commissioner and rejected the inquiry commission instituted by the government in this regard.
It also placed the onus on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and criticized the election commission for its alleged partisan role. Addressing the conference, MMA's central leader Syed Munawar Hassan demanded sacking of the chief election commissioner and the provincial governor for their alleged manipulation of elections.
He said that the alliance did not believe in terrorism and the MMA would respond to it through peaceful means. He demanded that the chief election commissioner should be sacked for failing in holding peaceful elections in the city.
He claimed that the city witnessed the worst kind of stuffing of ballot by the ruling party by employing strong arm tactics with the connivance of police and other agencies.
The MMA leader demanded that FIR against provincial ministers and advisers should be lodged for their alleged manipulation of elections and use of force against the MMA supporters.
Prof N.D. Khan of the PPP emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to confront terrorism. Supporting the stand of the MMA, Mr Khan said that the violence on May 12 had seriously undermined democratic dispensation in the country.
Mian Ejaz Shafi of the PML(N) accused the MQM for deliberately pursuing a policy of strong arm tactics and violence to destroy peace of Karachi. He said that on May 11 and 12 the worst kind of state terrorism was witnessed.
Former Sindh governor Mamnoon Hussain deplored the killing of MMA supporters on election day and said that politics through the barrel of the guns was dangerous for the country's integrity.
Hafiz Mohammad Taqi held the ruling party responsible for the election day violence and called upon all the national political parties to join hands in confronting fascist forces.
Dr Mairajul Huda strongly criticized trammelling of the sanctity of ballot and claimed that nine activists of the MMA were killed and over 100 were injured in the violence. He also alleged that the MQM activists, who enjoyed effective support of the provincial government, had taken over the polling stations.
Muzaffar Kalhoro of the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party slammed the release of activists of a political party on payroll and alleged that violence on election day was a clear attempt to make the citizens of this city hostage for implementing a diabolic agenda. He also criticized the alleged rigging on election day.
Pakistan Awami Tehrik's Abdul Qadir, Hashim Siddiqui Islami Tehrik Pakistan's Kausar Zaidi, Jamshed Ahmad Khan, Ghulam Sarwar Awan, Basharat Mirza ad Tehrik-i-Isteqlal's Abdul Rashid and Rashid Naseem castigated the provincial government for its failure in maintaining law and order.
They alleged that murder, extortion and violence had once again been deliberately injected into politics. They held General Musharraf responsible for plunging the province into another vicious circle of violence and bloodletting by supporting a party, which had been allegedly responsible for violence in the past.
Meanwhile, the provincial chapter of the MMA slammed Gen Musharraf's remarks regarding blasphemy laws and Hudood Ordinance and said the president should not have made it a point of ridicule.
