KARACHI: The deployment of army in Karachi is inevitable for holding free and fair elections on May 11 as the frequent bomb blasts, torching of offices of political parties and kidnapping of workers is an agenda of foreign powers being executed by certain elements in the country.
This was stated by four right-wing parties which are part of the 10-party alliance led by Pakistan Muslim League-F chief Pir Pagara.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Monday afternoon here at Idara Noor-i-Haq, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Muhammad Hussain Mehanti, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F’s Qari Muhammad Usman, Pakistan Muslim League–N’s Salim Zia and Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan’s Shah Ovais Noorani condemned the blasts and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incidents.
Expressing surprise over the timing of the bomb blasts for three days, Mr Mehanti termed it a nefarious conspiracy to block the process of free and transparent polls.
He said in Karachi violence started with setting on fire of their party’s election office in Nazimabad, which was followed by the removal of their banners and flags and kidnapping of a number of their party workers.
This situation raised questions that how terrorists were able to shift bombs freely from one place to another, but police, Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies failed to nab them.
He alleged that on Sunday night also their banners and flags were torn to pieces in 11/A North Karachi.
The JI leader said it was also a matter of concern that employees of the water board and city government were being included in the election staff which was an attempt to make the elections results doubtful. “We are of the opinion that the present worsening law and order situation is because of want of free, fair and transparent polls as the Thappa mafia had taken its mandate through manipulation. Had transparent polls been held in the city, the present situation would not have occurred,” he said.
He demanded declaring the entire city sensitive and ensuring deployment of army personnel at each polling booth.
In reply to a question, he said he would like to ask the election commission if the army did not like to be deployed in the city or the election commission was unwilling to write a letter in that regard.
“The Karachi for the last many years had been made hostage during the election process, and we demand that the election commission write to the army for its deployment as all three caretaker provincial governments of Sindh, Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as well as the federal government had failed to protect the citizens,” he added.
He said the election commission should take notice that their banners were being removed, election offices attacked and workers tortured and their people were not allowed electioneering in the MQM-dominated areas.
Salim Zia of the PML-N, endorsing Mr Mehanti’s views, asked the ECP to take notice of the Defence Housing Authority administration which was not allowing any party to carry out election activities, including the hanging of banners, hoisting of flags on poles and display of posters although there was nowhere such restrictions in the country.
Qari Muhammad Usman of the JUI-F said that Karachi be handed over to the army for the next 10 days so that free and fair elections could be held in the city. He warned that if the election commission did not take notice of the situation and failed to discharge its obligations, the entire nation would rise against it.
Ovais Noorani of the JUP said the right-wing four parties, when they were given mandate by the people of the metropolis, had made the city a cradle of peace and city of lights, but the left-wing MQM, PPP and ANP during their five-year rule had given the city terrorism, corpses and CNICs in gunny bags.
The JUP leader said that entire Karachi had been turned into a red zone and if the army was not deployed in the city, it would be difficult for voters to come out to cast their votes. The deployment of army personnel along with the presiding officer would make impossible for the ‘Thappa mafia’ to repeat their performance.
Demanding the removal of political governor in Sindh, he appealed to Karachiites to support the parties which could give peace to the city, Sindh and Pakistan.
