Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) former prime ministers Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf said on Thursday that postponement of elections would be dangerous and all political forces would resist any such move.
They said this while addressing a joint press conference where Tehreek-e-Islami leaders Allama Arif Wahidi and Allama Shabbir Maisani announced support for PPP candidates in the upcoming general elections at Zardari House.
Former Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza was also present during the press conference.
Gilani said that the adverse law and order situation is not a valid plea to postpone the elections as Iran held regular elections while it was at war with Iraq.
“Elections took place in Afghanistan during the war on terror,” he added.
Gilani said elections should be held on time as this was in the interest of the country.
He said all steps should be taken for holding free and transparent elections.
He said that the PPP leadership was following the vision and the policies of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto who had sacrificed their lives for the rights of the people and for democracy.
Gilani said that the 20th Amendment introduced by the PPP government has ensured the credibility of the caretaker government and independence of Election Commission of Pakistan.
“For the first time in the history of this country, a government has completed its term timely elections are being held. Both of these are the achievement of the PPP,” he said.
To a question regarding the law and order situation, he said the government and ECP should provide adequate security to the party which is receiving threats.
Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the PPP government, by introducing
Benazir Income Support Programme, helped over 700 million people financially and these people would play a key role in the next elections.
Moreover, he said that the PPP government raised the salaries and pensions of the public sector employees by more than one hundred percent.
Raja Pervez said that political analysts believe that after the upcoming elections, a coalition government would be set up as no party would be able to win enough seats to form government on its own.
“The PPP has experience of running a coalition government,” he added.
To a question regarding allotment of contracts for two roads in his constituency, he said that the NLC was capable of building the road in a short time period and this was not a crime.
