BB says Boycott will benefit undemocratic forces

QUETTA—PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said no one would be allowed to play with the fate of people. She said this while addressing a press conference here on airport Sunday on the conclusion of her two days visit to Balochistan. Politics of boycott will benefit undemocratic forces, as it would leave the electoral fields open for them, she underscored. Therefore, political forces should not boycott the polls, she stressed.
Pursuing the course of violence is not correct in any way, she said adding restoration of peace is indispensable to save the motherland. A robust and stable Pakistan cannot be possible unless due regard is given to the provinces, she added. She alleged government had planned massive rigging in the polls but people could foil all the designs of undemocratic forces and government. Therefore, people should make correct use of their votes on January, 8 so that undemocratic forces could be defeated.
She went on to say the rulers had made the country a failed state for their personal interests where political parties, judiciary and parliament had been weakened. Army is keeping this state integrated forcibly, she added. The dream of robust state and federation of Pakistan can come true only when rights will be given to the provinces on the principle of equality and due respect will be given to them, she stressed.
Ill-conceived policies of government are breeding negative thinking all across the country, she alleged. Responding to a question she said the decision taken by the nationalist parties of Balochistan for boycotting the elections is their own decision and they have every right to pursue such decision. “However to my thinking boycotting the elections in the prevailing situation amounts to deepening the crisis. Therefore, political forces should not boycott the elections, she appealed.
To another question she said she condemned terrorism in its all forms and manifestations as the course of violence was not conducive for the country in any way. Replying to a question she said there was presence of Taliban during her erstwhile stint of premiership but they were not extremist to this extent. To another question she said “ I know it well elections will not be held in fair and transparent manner and rulers have planned to manipulate voting but PPP is participating in the elections under protest and “we will foil rigging program of the government.
BB says only free and fair elections and an end to militancy can save Pakistan Former Prime Minister and Chairperson PPP Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Sunday visited the residence of Talal Bugti in Quetta and offered condolences on the death of his father Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti. Talking to Talal Bugti she said that the PPP condemned the murder of Nawab Bugti which she said had increased the alienation of the Baloch people from the federation. She also condemned the large scale disappearances of political activists and their persecution at the hands of state agencies.
The PPP will release political prisoners and recover the missing persons, she said. She also condemned the continued detention and harassment of Akhtar Mengal and the manner in which Balach Marri and Barhamdag Bugti had been treated by the regime. The former Prime Minister also called for the resettlement and compensation of the internally displaced persons in Balochistan as a result of state’s repression.
Mohtarma Bhutto recalled and condemned the Dr Shazia Khalid case and described it as a crime against all women. She deplored that an entire generation of Pakistani people had been deprived of peace and security. Some people had a vested interest and benefited from continuing the crisis of stability, she said. She said that the PPP will work for a welfare state. She called for giving employment to the local people in development projects in Balochistan like the Gwadar Port Project.
Earlier, the PPP Chairperson also met representative delegation of the lawyers’ community and the People’s Lawyers Forum (PLF). Mohtarma Bhutto also addressed a press conference at Quetta Airport while returning to Karachi. Talking to journalists she said that Pakistan could be saved only through democracy and by bringing to an end to militancy. She asked the people of Pakistan to make a pledge to fight for their rights with the power of vote through parliament and not through bombs and bullets. She also called for an end to political victimization and military operation in Balochistan.
About the National Command Authority she said that instead of issuing an ordinance when the elections are only weeks away the matter should have been left to the next parliament to decide. She said that the balance of power is an important issue which will be decided by the next parliament. She said that there were serious impediments in the way of holding free and fair elections. The Election Commission (EC) was not independent as was evident from the fact that it failed to act on a number of complaints made to it. The ECP failed to stop the agencies from kidnapping Sarfaraz Bugti to stop him from filing nomination papers.
There was no neutral caretaker setup and the government machinery was being blatantly used to manipulate elections. Electronic voters’ list were not been given to the parties and the ghost polling stations had not been checked.
She said that the inability of the EC to stop mass judicial and executive transfers on the last day by the previous government and the publication of forged letters to demolish PPP showed that the EC was not independent. She said that an intelligence agency personnel had approached her party candidates with a view to influencing them and the EC had not been able to contain the agencies interference in the election process.
Mohtarma Bhutto called upon the public servants on election duty not to let regime steal the elections. She said that their future and the future of their children depended on free and fair elections and it was their moral and legal responsibility to prevent any attempt at rigging. She said that the PPP was a fede al party which was struggling for democracy, strengthening of the federation, restoration of the constitution and supremacy of the law.
Pakistan People’s Party has refuses to withdraw its candidates in favour of JUI-F in interior Sindh. However, the party has offered a conditional seat adjustment with religious alliance MMA in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Sources in Pakistan People’s Party told APP Sunday that the JUI had presented them a ‘priority list’ of 10 National and 18 Provincial Assembly constituencies in Sindh and demanded withdrawal of PPP candidates in favour of the JUI-F.The National Assembly seats included in the priority list of the JUI-F were: NA-239 Karachi, NA-240 Karachi, NA-254 Karachi, NA- 258 Karachi, NA-353 Karachi, NA-202 Shikarpur, NA-209 Jacobabad, NA- 211 Nausheroferoz, NA-215 Khairpur, NA-238 Thatta. While the provincial assembly seats included PS-90 Karachi, PS-91 Karachi, PS-97 Karachi, PS-102 Karachi, PS-113 Karachi, PS-118Karachi, PS-124 Karachi, PS-128 Karachi, PS-11 Shikarpur, PS-15 Jacobabad, PS-16 Kashmore, PS-21 Nausheroferoze, PS-27 Khairpur, PS-34 Khairpur, PS-37 Larkana, PS-41 Qambar-Shadad Kot, PS-44 Mutiari, PS-86 Thatta.—Agencies