ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: Except for the JUI of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, all major opposition parties on Wednesday criticised the postponement of elections. They reiterated their demand for a government of national consensus and an independent Election Commission.PML-N central secretary information Ahsan Iqbal told Dawn that the decision to delay the elections was ‘unjustified’ and ‘unilateral’. “Except for the PML-Q, no political party was consulted in this regard.”
However, he said the PML-N would take part in the process and would not allow anyone to rig the elections.
The new poll schedule, he said, was aimed at providing more time to the king’s party and its members in the local government to misuse the state machinery in the election campaign.
Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali told Dawn from Karachi that the postponement was beyond the imagination of major political parties which were not expecting it. He said that there was a huge gap between the previous and new dates.
APP adds: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that his party would follow the decision of the Election Commission.
Talking to private TV channel, he said his party was ready to contest the elections on Jan 8 and had no objection to the new date.
Jamaat-i-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch said the elections might be delayed even beyond the new date of February 18.
He claimed that the reason for the postponement was that the current atmosphere was not in favour of pro-establishment parties.
