PESHAWAR: Announcing that July 25, the first anniversary of the 2018 general elections, will be marked as the black dayto protest the ‘poll rigging’, the opposition parties on Thursday asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down admitting his failure to efficiently manage the country’s affairs.

Members of a provincial coordination committee of the combined opposition told a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday that they didn’t accept the 2018 election results and called the prime minister ‘selected’ in light of the massive rigging.

Accompanied by Asif Daudzai of the JUI-F, Ayub Shah of the PPP, Rashid Mehmood of the PML-N, Tariq Khan of the Qaumi Watan Party, Mukhtiar Bacha of the National Party and others, ANP leader Sardar Hussain Babak said though the 2018 election were massively rigged to help the PTI form government in the centre and provinces, the opposition parties had decided to sit in assemblies for the sake of democracy.

“The people’s mandate was stolen through pre-planned rigging, which led the country to economic collapse,” he said.

The ANP leader said the opposition could oust the ‘selected’ government but it would like to see the ruling party complete its constitutional term in office just to save democratic institutions.

“We can’t accept anyone’s selection in the name of election. Only one party was given the opportunity to canvass. The rest were not provided with a level-playing field to solicit votes,” he said.

Mr Babak said a public meeting would be held at Motorway Chowk on Dalazak Road at 11am on July 25, where central leaders of all opposition parties would be in attendance.

He complained about the ‘unannounced media censorship’ in the country and said such a situation had happened in the country for the first time during a civilian government.

The ANP leader rejected the federal and KP budgets for 2019-20 and said the government had made the life of common man miserable by further taxing the people already affected by poverty.

He said the new tax regime had distressed the people.

Mr Babak said his party had always raised voice for the rights of Pakhtuns and their better economic conditions and would continue doing so.

Other members of the coordination committee said they would take all possible steps to mobilise the maximum number of people to the July 25 procession to show power against the government’s policies.

They complained about the escalating prices of consumer goods and higher taxes and said the government’s economic policies were a complete failure.

Committee member Ayub Shah said workers of all opposition parties were committed to making the black day a success. He said the people would rise up against the government without any campaign in light of their misery caused by high inflation.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2019