PTI leader Ejaz Chaudhary said lame excuses by PPP, PML-N and toothless Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) given to Supreme Court to hold local bodies elections in Sindh and Punjab clearly show that neither of them want to hold local bodies elections. Are the two provinces drowning in floodwater from the last seven years and why ECP is behaving in such an absurd manner and shy to hold local bodies elections he questioned? He said even Supreme Court is annoyed with ECP and the honorable Supreme Court has clearly observed in its order in yesterday hearing that it was for the ECP to conduct the elections under Article 140A. ECP credibility in the entire episode is under question and ECP is playing hand in hand with those who want to deny people from the fruits of grass root democracy he added. He said people of Pakistan want to know who is pulling the strings of ECP and why ECP is deferring the schedule for local bodies election in Sindh and Punjab.
PTI leader Yasmin Rashid said military dictators nurtured PPP and PML-N and these two parties would never transfer the power to grass root level. ECP is equally responsible for flouting the constitution of the Pakistan and inordinately delaying the local government polls in Sindh and Punjab for seven years she added. She said both the provincial governments have enjoyed their half tenures after May 2013 elections and shameless how these two provincial governments keep coming with excuses. If the ECP cannot perform its duty then its members who are already under question for their failure to hold free and transparent elections in 2013 should resign now.
PTI Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas said absence of the local government system for over nine years is against the Constitution and basic spirit of democracy. But the present civilian dictators even after the Supreme Court pressure were not taking serious steps to hold local bodies elections she added. She said unfortunately Sharif Brothers and Asif Ali Zardari are symbols of democracy as they always rant about democracy but in fact are afraid to conduct local bodies election. These so-called champions of democracy have so far not been able to rise above cronyism and want to hold the power in their hands she added. She said ECP is responsible for holding election but unfortunately ECP is playing in the hands of political parties and has failed to perform its constitutional duty she added.
Media Cell
PTI Punjab