KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday accused its former allies, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), of ‘conspiring together’ to get the Feb 8 general elections delayed after sensing their defeat. They were also seeking ‘guarantees’ before the day of polling, it noted.

PPP Sindh president Senator Nisar Khuhro at a news conference in Bilawal House asserted that elections must be held on February 8 “come what may”, cautioning that any move to cause delay in the elections would be taken as a contempt of Supreme Court, which had intervened to ensure the date of polling after much uncertainty.

The PPP leader also warned that a delay in the elections would not only weaken democracy in the country, but would also provide terrorist groups a space due to absence of strong administration and elected representatives in the country.

“It [suggestion to delay polls] has all been started by Maulana Sahib [JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman]. He is referring to deteriorating law and order as an excuse to delay the polls. We ask Maulana Sahib what guarantees he’s seeking under the garb of this excuse? Let it be very clear to everyone that it’s not the timely polls, but delay in the polls that would deepen the fear of terrorism in the country.”

Khuhro claims fear of defeat behind Fazl’s suggestion to delay polls; says putting off Feb 8 election will be contempt of SC

He also accused PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif of remaining silent on the suggestion of delaying the elections by maintaining that he himself didn’t want polls to be held on February 8.

Khuhro claimed that the former prime minister [Nawaz Sharif] was looking for an escape from the elections in fear of defeat even in his stronghold, Punjab. “And the proof is that he has not yet launched his party’s election campaign in Punjab,” said the Senator.

“They both want to run away from the polls. So one ally is suggesting a delay and the other is staying silent on such an anti-democracy proposal. They are well-aware that they are no more popular. The people will reject them. So the escape is the best possible solution they have found out.”

Senator Waqar Mehdi, PPP Sindh general secretary, seconding Senator Khuhro’s stance, questioned the emerging electoral alliance in Sindh where the PML-N was aligning with the JUI-F and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) against PPP only “to attack the Constitution”.

The alliance in elections against the PPP wasn’t a new phenomenon, he said.

“But this time [for Feb 8 polls] they [PML-N, MQM-P and JUI-F] are not joining hands against the PPP. They are uniting to attack the 18th Constitutional Amendment showing their real anti-democracy face. But these parties have already lost credibility by changing sides as they all are signatories of the same amendment made more than a decade ago and have now turned against it only for vested political interests.”

Responding to a question, Senator Khuhro said his party had not yet decided the names of candidates for the Feb 8 elections and it would take another few days to issue the final list.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2024