Speaking in the Senate, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said that the situation was Feb 8 different, which took a “180 degree turn” the very next day.

He lauded party leader Hafiz Naeem for forfeiting the seat he won in Sindh as he had not won in the constituency. He further said that Afghans had won in the elections, lamenting that non-Pakistani nationals would be sitting in the assemblies.

He said that is why voices were clamouring that the polls “had been sold” and were pre-decided. He said that those who did rigging were “criminals” and were responsible for spreading hate in the country.

“Elections are conducted to rid countries of crisis […] But what kind of election is this which has shoved us into a new crisis? […] International institutions are saying that democracy is declining in the country,” he said.

“The bullet has kidnapped the ballot,” he said, adding that this needed to end.