LAHORE, Dec 25: Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) Secretary-General Qari Zawwar Bahadar says opposition political parties can flop the government drama of holding free and fair elections by agreeing on a collective boycott even now.

Addressing JUP office-bearers in NA-124, NA-125 and NA-126 here on Tuesday, he said restrictions on deposed judges of superior courts and media belied the government’s claims about democracy and fair elections.

Denial of permission to deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and other judges of superior courts and prominent lawyers to offer Eid prayers and depriving their families of basic necessities and meeting their near and dear ones on the auspicious occasion could neither be described as democratic nor were justified under any law.

He said restrictions on media were also being enhanced as the elections were nearing. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was violating its own code of conduct and candidates of government-backed PML-Q and MQM were not bothering to observe any code at all.

The ECP was completely helpless in Karachi and Hyderabad where the MQM was not allowing other parties even to display their banners and flags, he said.