PESHAWAR, Jan 7: In a veiled reference to Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran chief Tahirul Qadri, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday unanimously rejected through a resolution the call for electoral reforms ahead of the general elections and declared it part of the agenda forwarded by foreign forces to postpone elections and derail democracy.

“A so-called religious scholar calling for electoral reforms before elections is working on the agenda of the foreign forces not only propagating against the teaching of Islam but also wanting to postpone polls and derail democracy. The House rejects such undemocratic tactics and urges the Election Commission to continue preparations for elections without fear. All political forces are also appealed to unite to foil the conspiracy against democracy and electoral process,” read the resolution tabled by PML-N MPA Barrister Javed Abbasi.

The resolution also read that the elements calling for electoral reforms before elections could not contest elections and that the people would reject them if they ever contested elections.

The resolution bore the signatures of Senior Minister Rahimdad Khan, Sikandar Sherpao of QWP, Mufti Kifayatullah of JUI-F, Qalandar Lodhi of PML-Q, Arshad Abdullah of ANP and Abdul Sattar.

After tabling the resolution, Mr Abbasi said Shaikhul Islam (a veiled reference to Tahirul Qadri) couldn’t be loyal to Pakistan as he had taken oath to be loyal to the Queen of the United Kingdom while securing Canadian citizenship.

He said democracy was restored in the country after political parties rendered great sacrifices. He added that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour had laid down their lives to strengthen democratic process.

The MPA said since the present government had been formed, many conspiracies had been hitched against it but the strong commitment of politicians to democracy foiled them all.

“Why hadn’t Shaikhul Islam return from Canada for the help of the victims of the earthquake in 2005, floods in 2010 and the continued militancy over the year? How did he realise all of a sudden that electoral reforms are necessary in Pakistan before elections?”

Mr Abbasi said Shaikhul Islam would cause unrest and uncertainty in the country if he was allowed to carry out activities without let or hindrance as the government had allowed such people to do so in Swat but all that resulted in the challenging of the Constitution and the writ of the government by them.

“Shaikhul Islam has been supported by hidden hands, who want civil war in Pakistan. Such people were brought from abroad under an agenda,” he said. Provincial information minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said for the first time in the history of Pakistan, an impartial Election Commission was in place after the consensus of the government and the opposition.

He urged all political parties to check elements intending to derail democracy. “If a drama is staged to postpone elections, it will mean that hidden hands want to bring its own people to the government. If there are no democratic people in the country, then who will resist militants,” he said.

JUI-F MPA Hafiz Akhtar Ali said those wanted reforms in the country should come to parliament through elections instead of pursuing their agenda undemocratically.