KARACHI: It was revealed on Wednesday that the Grand Democratic Alliance, Jamaat-i-Islami, and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf had decided to begin a “joint struggle” against the purported election manipulation.
Additionally, it was determined that employers and supporters of all three parties would stage a coordinated demonstration throughout the province on that day if the Sindh Assembly session for the oath-taking of the newly appointed lawmakers was announced without prior notice.
GDA chief coordinator Syed Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi was visited by PTI Sindh chapter president Haleem Adil Sheikh and JI Karachi chairman Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, along with their delegations, on Wednesday afternoon. They discussed the possibility of organizing a coordinated demonstration against the “bogus” elections.
Speaking with Dawn, Sardar Abdur Rahim, the communication secretary for the GDA, stated that the three party leaders had a lengthy conversation about the present political climate, the “fraudulent” elections, and how the parties could work together.
Haleem Adil and Hafiz Naeem are invited by Sadruddin Shah Rashidi to finalize the protest plan tomorrow
He claimed that the three political parties made the decision to mount a valiant defense against the allegedly stolen elections.
“Syed Sadruddin Shah Rashidi has extended an invitation to the leaders to participate in a GDA meeting on February 23,” he stated, adding that significant decisions concerning the protest’s tactics would be made during the meeting.
He claimed that because of the opposition’s adamant protest, the attendees of the meeting believed that the caretaker administration and the Pakistani Election Commission were in a condition of “confusion.”
The leader of the GDA hinted that an announcement on the Sindh Assembly session to administer the oath to newly elected members would come soon.
In this instance, he continued, “the leaders decided during the meeting that on that day, workers along with supporters of all three parties will organize joint protests throughout the province.”
Sardar Rahim further mentioned that following the meeting on February 23rd, a formal announcement about the protest would be made.
Earlier on Tuesday night, a delegation from the PTI, headed by the president of the PTI’s Sindh chapter, Haleem Adil Sheikh, visited the JI headquarters in Karachi, Idara Noor-i-Haq, and both parties agreed to demand that the election results be announced in accordance with Form-45.
The PTI leaders were given the assurance by the Hafiz Naeem-led JI delegation that they would not back down from their demands and would do all within the bounds of the nation’s Constitution and the law to advocate for justice.
“On February 8, Karachi voters solely supported the PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami,” Hafiz Naeem declared during his discussion with the PTI delegation.
“No third party participated in the competition on the ground. It is ironic, though, that individuals who Karachians had rejected have now been imposed once more—but only because it serves the special interests of some groups. We refuse to accept these outcomes and want that new ones be announced in accordance with Form-45.
The PTI applauded Hafiz Naeem of JI for his “gesture” of “throwing first stone,” which exposed the rigging and contributed to the creation of a narrative opposing the “fraud” polls. Haleem, a PTI supporter, also “thanked” the JI politician for relinquishing his seat to a candidate who “exposed rigging in Karachi elections.”
“Not only has Hafiz Naeem’s brave choice to decline the Sindh Assembly seat exposed the election commission, but it has also elevated the leader’s and the JI’s stature,” he said.
“Karachi has been forced to accept the MQM in an absurd way. In the context of democracy, it’s a joke. We are determined to pursue and expose those who have appropriated the mandate of Sindh and Karachi, and we are not going to give up.
A committee made up of representatives from both sides was previously established by the two parties for the conflict. Raja Azhar and Mubashir Hassan of the PTI, along with Raja Arif Sultan and Qazi Sadaruddin of Jamaat-i-Islami, made up the committee.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
