ANP to boycott coming session of Sindh Assembly: government, ECP castigated
KARACHI: Awami National Party (ANP) Tuesday announced to boycott the forthcoming September 24th session of Sindh Assembly in protest against the government’s attitude towards October 17th by-elections.
Addressing a crowded press conference at Mardan House, ANP Sindh Chapter President Shahi Syed said the postponed by-elections be conducted under Army supervision, as ANP had no confidence in the present government.
The briefing was held after a special meeting of ANP Sindh’s ‘think tank’ which was attended among others by General Secretary Amin Khattak and Deputy General Secretary Basher Jan. “We strongly condemn the dictatorial decision of the elected government to postpone the by-elections which has put to question transparency,” Shahi told the media.
The ANP leader appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of an ‘unnecessary’ postponement of the by-polls, which were due on September 22 but then postponed by the Election Commission after being what Shahi said ‘politically influenced’ in the wake of MQM leader Imran Farooq’s murder in London.
“We pose no-confidence in the fairness of October 17 by-polls,” he said. Shahi said his party had no confidence in the Election Commission of Pakistan in terms of impartiality. “If the government wants to ensure transparency on the election day, all the polling stations be given under the supervision of army,” he added.
Shahi said ANP’s provincial lawmakers, Amir Nawab Khan and Amanullah Mehsood, would boycott the Friday’s Sindh Assembly session to register their party’s protest against the government’s attitude. According to him, Provincial Labour Minister Amir Nawab Khan would also not discharge his ministerial duties until the government took measures ensuring transparent polls on October 17.
He said Khan would remain an inactive minister and would not take part in any official affair. Even if the government continued with same behaviour, ANP would as a last resort go for boycotting the by-elections on the day of polling, he warned. “If the government is bent upon gifting the PS-94 seat to the ‘Thappa Mafia’ it needs not to stage the elections drama,” the party president said.
Shahi lashed out at his coalition partners in present government for rendering the government institutions paralysed on account of political reconciliation. “We are compelled to take such steps after being persistently ignored by the government,” in decision-making on various important issues. He claimed that his party was not taken on board on the postponement of by-polls.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:9/22/2010
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