ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has alleged that the federal government is directly interfering in the by-elections to be held on a National Assembly seat (NA-205) for Ghotki on July 18.

Speaking at a news conference here on Thursday, PPP secretary general Nayyar Bokhari, information secretary Dr Nafeesa Shah and media coordinator Nazir Dhoki also criticised the government’s decision to impose Section 144 in the tribal areas where elections to 16 provincial assembly seats are scheduled to be held on July 20.

The PPP leaders alleged that “officials of various institutions” were pressuring the party’s candidate by trying to get him nominated in some criminal cases as the federal government had asked the provincial departments to provide data and record of the candidates contesting the by-election.

Mr Bokhari said they had already conveyed their grievances and concerns to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said the ECP should take practical steps instead of issuing statements to make the elections transparent and fair.

The PPP has already written a letter to the ECP, complaining about the imposition of Section 144 in the erstwhile tribal districts, stating that the decision is hampering free and fair elections scheduled for July 20.

In the letter sent to the ECP, PPP’s Farhatullah Babar had stated that “access to voters through public meetings by candidates and their party leaders is of paramount importance to present to the people alternate political narratives that can change their lives”.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2019