KARACHI: The situation in Islamabad calls for urgent resolution within the framework of the Constitution with mutual understanding of the stakeholders, as delay in resolving the issue is harmful to the country, said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Syed Ghous Ali Shah on Thursday.

Mr Shah, who held the office of the chief minister of Sindh twice in addition to that of defence minister, was addressing a press conference at his residence in Defence.

While responding to questions of media persons, the PML-N leader said inherent weaknesses in the electoral process had been highlighted and if next elections were held without electoral reforms their result would not be acceptable to people.

He said that bloodshed did not augur well for any country.

The retired justice said there the last elections in Sindh were marred by massive rigging, but the parties were sorting out the issue through election tribunals instead of taking to the streets. He said he had complete faith in the tribunals to get justice.

In reply to another question, Mr Shah said the election tribunal had recently given verdicts in the petitions related to various constituencies. While the election tribunal was required to decide cases within four months, delay was caused by winning candidates who had moved the high court to obtain stay order and the tribunal could not proceed before getting the stay order vacated.

Mr Shah claimed that he spent Rs1.9 million for the verification of the thumb impressions by Nadra which was essential to prove the rigging charges. He added that electoral reforms were necessary for holding free, fair and transparent elections.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014