ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has said the government should not withdraw the condition of graduation for national and provincial assemblies’ candidates.

It said that those who were demanding the waiver of this condition were not the friends of the country and they did not want to see capable and competent people replacing the existing lot of corrupt politicians.

In a Press statement issued on here Sunday, the party spokesman said that these forces of status quo wanted to let the corrupt practices continue in the rotten political system and did not want to see the competent and educated people replacing the illiterate politicians.

The spokesman asked the government not to succumb to the pressure of these negative forces, and continue with the political reforms agenda in the country without which the vicious circle of corrupt politicians could not be broken.

He also demanded of the government to reduce the age limit for voting in national and provincial assemblies elections to 18 years.

He further said that in this way the youth of the country could be engaged in the political process of the country which would have an overall positive impact on the electoral process.

He demanded of the government to hold future elections on proportionate representation basis.—NNI