Leaders of two major alliances of opposition, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on Wednesday demanded deployment of army for local bodies elections, alleging that in past police and district administration had not only failed to protect voters and candidates from 'terrorists' but were openly siding with them.
This demand was voiced by leaders of MMA and ARD Maulana Abdul Wahid Qureshi, President of MMA Hyderabad district, Abdul Rehman Rajput, member of Sindh Assembly of JUP, Afzal Gujjar, Hanif Siddiqui of PML-N, Ghulam Rasool Memon of PPP, Azam Jehangiri of JUI, and Sheikh Shaukat Ali of Jamaat Islami.
Maulana Abdul Wahid Qureshi claimed that the terrorists of a particular party have made hostage whole the city of Hyderabad and ruling quarters were backing them.
He allegedly said the Sindh government had given free hand to terrorists, who were threatening the candidates backed by the opposition parties of facing dire consequences if they would not withdraw their candidatures.
He claimed that 'terrorists' had sent white coffin cloth to opposition candidates with message of "Baeth Jao Ya Let Jao" (either to withdraw or be prepared for dying).
He said in the present circumstances it seemed that the election would be turned in to selection.
He allegedly said that MQM workers fired on home of an opposition candidate for Nazim and when the MMA leaders reached the spot the police was seen surrounding the home of opposition candidate and actively supporting the attackers.
He said that despite all these pressure their candidates would not bow before wishes of the terrorists. He alleged election commission was not listening to the complaints made to it by opposition candidates.
He demanded posting of a permanent Chief Election Commissioner. He termed the statements of CEC only to show the outside world that elections were being held fair. He claimed the nominations in Hyderabad were held one week after Karachi, "because the terrorists will be sent to Hyderabad after Karachi".
Abdul Rehman Rajput said many prominent persons were killed in Karachi by terrorists, and now they were in Hyderabad to repeat the killing spree.
The opposition leaders warned that if the elections were not held fair no one could stop the change. They asked administration to declare whole Hyderabad as sensitive and deploy the army to ensure fair elections.
They also said that all opposition parties were united and they would launch movement against the government either during elections or after it to bring the change in present set up.
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