QUETTA: Leaders from a coalition of Baloch, Pashtoon and Hazara nationalist parties have rejected the Feb 8 election results, accusing the process of being marred by corruption, with allegations of Rs70 billion being given in Balochistan for electoral victories.

Speaking at a joint public meeting in front of the office of Quetta district returning officer on Saturday, they said people of Balochistan had been denied their real mandate, which was a crime, and those involved must be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution.

The heads of these four parties — Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), National Party (NP) and Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) — alleged that the candidates declared winners in the elections did not secure their positions through legitimate votes but were instead aided by “supernatural entities”.

They also called for a province-wide wheel-jam strike today (Sunday) and declared that they would support parties that would stop civil and military interference in politics.

PkMAP, BNP-M, NP and HDP announce province-wide strike today to protest ‘vote rigging’

They highlighted egregious instances of vote manipulation, claiming that a candidate who had received only four votes on Feb 8 was shown to have received 400 votes the next day. They emphasised their refusal to accept the election results until political affairs were free from institutional interference.

BNP-M President Sardar Akhtar Mengal said democracy had been trampled upon in Pakistan.

“Those who have been successful in elections are the ones who received votes from angels, not from humans,” he said and vowed to stand against the manipulation of election results.

He also demanded punishment for those who allegedly changed election results.

National Party President Dr Abdul Malik Baloch stressed that democracy had been seriously undermined in Pakistan. He said these parties would continue to strive for the restoration of democracy and stressed that these measures were being taken under a conspiracy to sideline the nationalists.

“We want Pakistan to run according to the Constitution, and until the opinion of the people of Balochistan is respected, nothing will work,” he said.

PkMAP Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, asserting their right to dissent, rejected any need for external validation of their patriotism, rooted in their sacrifices and commitment to democracy.

“I was standing with Nawaz Sharif when he was standing with law and Constitution,” Mr Achakzai said.

“We will not take arms, but we are dangerous people as love for democracy is in our blood.”

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2024