KARACHI: Opposition parties urged to unite for LB elections
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, July 5: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has urged all opposition parties to get united and face the government challenge in the coming local bodies polls by fielding one-to-one candidate against the ruling coalition nominees. He termed the government claim about removal of nazims farce only to ensure even level playing field to all candidates and pointed out that by allowing federal and provincial ministers to contest the non-party polls how the elections could remain neutral as the ministers had already started using the state machinery and administration for favourable results.
Imran Khan, who was addressing a crowded press conference at Karachi Press Club on Tuesday, stressed the need for setting up a neutral election commission headed by a person of integrity like Air Marshal Asghar Khan to hold free, fair and transparent elections. He said in presence of a military dictator’s rule in the country, how army could play a neutral role.
He criticized the recent amendments to the Local Government Ordinance for allowing ministers, MNAs and MPAs to contest local government polls only to ensure victory of the ruling party. “If the government wants to hold neutral elections, the ministers and legislators should be asked to resign before filing their nomination papers. A caretaker setup should be installed or Pakistan Human Rights Commission should be asked to conduct transparent elections.”
Referring to the ongoing transfers and postings, PTI chief said pre-poll rigging had been started. In this connection, he cited the example of Mianwali where five Superintendents of Police had been transferred during last two years. In Punjab, he said, people who did not enjoy impeccable record were appointed as chairmen of Zakat committees so that Zakat funds could be used in the local bodies polls.
In reply to a question, Mr Khan said that his party was determined to contest the local bodies polls by forming joint panel with the opposition parties of the government.
Earlier, PTI chief Imran Khan criticized the increase in petrol, diesel and gas prices at a time when common man was facing unprecedented miseries due to price spiral. He said that the recent abnormal increase had proved that the country was ruled by the army which did not care about hardships of people.
He alleged that General Musharraf had increased the presidency expenditures by 200 per cent while the poor people were being asked to give sacrifices. Imported bullet-proof cars costing Rs4 billion were being used by the president, prime minister and chief ministers at a time when a large population was living below the poverty line, he remarked.
Referring to the prime minister’s claim of reduction in poverty, Imran Khan said if the prime minister had moved in the constituencies from where he was elected, he would have not made such claims.
He also criticized the foreign tours of Gen Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and asked them to give account of its total expenditures and the benefit of their visits. He said that in a country where people were dying from drinking contaminated water and where children’s mortality rate was the highest in the world, such lavish expenditures could not be justified.
