PESHAWAR
Hundreds of workers of Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUIF) on Wednesday held protest demonstration against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for allegedly utilizing government machinery and officials to manipulate results of the local government elections scheduled for December 19.
The protesters led by MPA Samar Haroon Bilour and Gulam Ali gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club and shouted anti-government slogans.
Holding banners and placards inscribed with demands for fear and transparent local body polls in Peshawar, the protesters demand of the provincial government to desist from the polls manipulation.
Talking to mediapersons, ANP provincial spokesperson Samar Haroon Bilour and JUI-F former senator Ghulam Ali said the government would be responsible for the consequences if the government tried to rig the election.
Samar Bilour said that the purpose of the joint demonstration was to warn the PTI provincial leadership against the government machinery in the ongoing local body election campaign.
Leaders of the opposition parties asked the chief election commissioner to take notice of the government’s plans and ensure a free and fair election.
They said the government had failed on all fronts and the PTI ministers and advisers never talked about the growing price-hike, unemployment and lawlessness.
Gulam Ali, former senator of JUI-F had fielded his son Zubair Ali for the slot of Peshawar mayorship, and said the people would reject the PTI in the election.
He said the government was aware of the sentiments of the people and that was why it had planned to rig the election.
He warned to throw out the government officials from the polling stations if they tried to create hurdles for voters.
It is worth mentioning here that the senior leadership of the Jamat-i-Islami (JI) also held a meeting with the Chief Secretary KP and conveyed its party reservation over the polls. The provincial president of JI, senator Mushtaq Ahmad and others, asked the CS-KP to ensure election code of conduct and stop the utilization of government machinery in the polls.
