KARACHI, March 9: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan on Friday said that the government planned to impose emergency not only to curb the basic rights of the people but also to postpone the elections for a year, but it would not be allowed to do that.

Speaking at a press conference, the JUP leaders – Hashim Siddiqui, Haleem Ghauri, Shakeel Qasmi, Waheed Yunus, Zubair Ishaq and others –said that a minister belonging to an ethnic organisation had already demanded that elections be postponed and the demand was also supported by the PML-Q leaders.

They said that the government by using blackmailing tactics through the NAB had already started to make efforts to net the leaders of different political parties, while the secret agencies had also started screening the leaders to select those who would be declared successful in the polls.

They demanded that an independent election commission be set up so that the elections could be held in a transparent manner. They also urged the political parties to join hands to abolish the interference of the secret agencies in political matters.

The speakers also condemned the new rules of the national assembly under which president, army and judiciary could not be criticised. They said that the president, army, judiciary etc were not above the constitution and the national assembly members were empowered to criticise them in a healthy manner.