MARDAN: Awami National Party provincial president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has said that his party would provide proof of rigging in the 2013 general elections to the judicial commission.

He was talking to media persons at his residence here on Saturday. The ANP provincial council members, including Abdul Aziz Khan and Mohammad Javed Yousafzai, were also present on the occasion.

Mr Hoti said that they would soon present the evidence of rigging in the last general elections to the judicial commission, as ANP had formally started homework in this regard. He claimed that under a pre-planned conspiracy their candidates were targeted and they were not allowed to freely run the election campaign.

Answering a question about the coming local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he alleged that the intention of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led provincial government was not good and feared an organised rigging in the LG elections.

Hoti says his party was not allowed free campaign in 2013 elections

Mr Hoti said they feared that returning officers would be pressurised by the provincial rulers due to which it would be difficult for them to hold transparent polls in the province.

“We are suspicious about the government’s intention regarding delaying the LG poll results for 10 days and holding elections on non-party basis at the lower level,” he said, adding that these were tools which would be used by the rulers in their favour.

The ANP provincial president demanded of the authorities to hold the LG polls under the supervision of judiciary. He alleged that the accountability commission was being used by the provincial government as a tool against opposition parties and members to pressurise them. He, however, welcomed the return of PTI to the parliament, adding that Imran Khan should now review his style of politics.

Answering a question, Mr Hoti said that efforts were being made to strengthen the tripartite alliance for coming elections. He demanded of the relevant authorities to also hold party-based LG polls in the village and neighbourhood councils.

The ANP leader vowed that every Pakistani would defend the sacred places and soil if the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia was challenged. He, however, said that the Saudi-Yemen conflict was a very sensitive issue and Pakistan should remain neutral. He said that all political parties of the country had adopted a clear stand that instead of becoming party in the conflict, Pakistan should perform a role of mediator.

He said that diplomatic efforts should be accelerated through the Muslim Ummah to clinch a ceasefire between the respective parties so that serious talks for restoration of peace and normalcy could be started.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2015

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