RAWALPINDI: The cleric, who took to the streets in Islamabad in front of the parliament house and demanded an elected government to step down, on Sunday announced to not participate in the upcoming general elections, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to a public gathering in Rawalpindi, Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri announced to boycott the forthcoming polls citing lack of implementation upon proposals he had given to the government at the time of ending his days-long sit-in in the federal capital earlier in January this year.

Reiterating his rhetoric over corrupt rulers, Qadri said the PAT will not become a part of the corrupt electoral system, being run by corrupt people as well.

He declared the polls under current election commission as fraudulent and said his party will protest on the polling day across the country.

Qadri, a Pakistani-Canadian who recently returned to Pakistan after years in Toronto, had accused the government of corruption and incompetence, and called for sweeping reforms to be enacted by a caretaker administration before polls.