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| July 31, 2005 | Sunday | Jumadi-us-Sani 23, 1426 |
PPP body rejects amendments in LG laws
KARACHI, July 30: The Central Executive Committee and Federal Council of the Pakistan People’s Party on Saturday rejected amendments in local government laws and alleged that the Election Commission had failed to discharge its constitutional obligation of holding free and fair elections as it had done nothing to end the regime’s “institutionalized kidnapping and victimization” of opposition candidates.
This was stated by the PPP’s deputy secretary general, Mian Raza Rabbani, during a news briefing on decisions taken in the meeting. Mr Rabbani claimed that the regime had made the Pakistan People’s Party a target and had allegedly devised a systematic “six-point plan” on pre-poll rigging.
The meeting was held at Bilawal House under the chairmanship of Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who is vice president of the party. Makhdoom Amin Fahim was also mandated to explore with the ARD members in their Sunday meeting the possibility of calling an APC for exposing the alleged electoral manipulations of the government.
Mr Rabbani told newsmen that the party’s CEC had rejected the amendments recently made in the SLGO as they hit at the very root of devolution. “The amendments establish the dictatorship of the chief minister and any opposition nazim shall be at his mercy for his survival in office or for development funds,” he said.
The meeting rejected outright the deployment of private security guards during polling and demanded that the Election Commission immediately prevent the Sindh government from using private guards. Mr Rabbani claimed that the government was going for private guards to protect its bungling during elections.
The meeting also took serious note of the fact that the chief election commissioner was still operating in an “acting” capacity, which seriously eroded the credibility of a neutral arbiter to oversee a free and fair election. It demanded that there should be a permanent chief election commissioner.
Complaining about the continuing transfers and postings in the middle of the electoral process, the PPP said that the Sindh government had not replied to queries sought by the CEC and demanded that the CEC should establish his writ by using his authority to suspend those responsible for the violation of electoral rules.
In a resolution the CEC resolved that “under the present dispensation fair, free and just polls in the next general elections were not possible. In order to meet the constitutional requirement of free, fair and just polls an independent and autonomous Election Commission with representation of the HRCP and a neutral caretaker government is required”.
The CEC alleged that the government had resorted to “one of the worst cases of political victimization in the history of Pakistan”. Party nazims at district, tehsil and union council levels were removed in violation of the SLGO. Those who survived have had their development funds blocked. Candidates and members of their families were threatened and involved in false criminal cases, arrested, tortured and beaten with the intent to make them change their party affiliations or not to contest the elections.
The meeting also deplored the use of state funds and resources by President Gen Pervez Musha-rraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, federal ministers and chief ministers who were allegedly campaigning and holding public meetings for PM-Q candidates.
The meting also condemned intimidation of the Press and expressed concern over arrest and kidnapping of a journalist working with an English evening daily.
The PPP demanded that in the constituencies where candidates were kidnapped or prevented from appearing in scrutiny, the exercise should be done again. It also demanded elections to the cantonment boards and extension of the LB system to the federal capital.
The meeting noted that polling stations previously set up in government buildings were being shifted on the excuse of law and order to private buildings or houses of the supporters of the PM-Q.
The meeting unanimously condemned continued victimization of party leadership through fabricated cases and false charges, particularly the party chairperson, Benazir Bhutto and demanded that all politically-motivated cases against her be withdrawn immediately. The meeting also demanded that all such cases against Senator Asif Zardari, Vice President Yusuf Reza Gilani, former minister Kakar, spouse of parliamentarian Farzana Raja and other party leaders in exile and in Pakistan be withdrawn without further delay.
The meeting condemned the continued incarceration of the party’s vice-chairman, and former speaker, National Assembly, Mr Yusuf Reza Gilani and detention of Mr Javed Hashmi in a false and completely fabricated case and demanded their release.
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