Where are the condemnations?

ANP questions SC, govt for remaining silent over targeted attacks on ANP, PPP and MQM

Awami National Party (ANP) on Saturday urged people to question the so-called ‘democratic’ political parties who had remained suspiciously silent in condemning the attacks on ANP, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM). The ANP leadership added that the credibility of the elections would be affected if the current law and order situation persisted.

Talking to Pakistan Today, ANP spokesman Zahid Khan accused the Supreme Court and the caretaker government of remaining silent, instead of implementing security measures, when there was a clear  threat from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) who had openly said that certain parties would be restricted from freely participating in the polls.

Khan stressed that no matter what the security situation, ANP would not be deterred from going to the polls.

Furthermore, the ANP leader questioned the Supreme Court for not taking any action even though it was evident that only a few parties were being targeted in pre-poll violence by banned outfits.

Moreover, Khan urged the people to question the political parties who had remained silent while citizens were being killed every day as pre-poll violence had escalated.

Expressing his concerns, the ANP spokesman said that he had doubts over the credibility of the polls if such violent activities continued unabated.

He stressed that the need of the hour was to hold elections on time and said that the ANP would participate in the polls with full zeal.

Talking about his party’s strategy, Khan mentioned that his party did not have militant wings to fight the Taliban. He said that the ideology of Bacha Khan did not allow them to be violent.

He said that his party leadership would continue their door-to-door campaign and would not retreat from the field.

Moreover, Senator Pervez Rasheed from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said that every political party in the country wanted elections, even though they were under clear attack from hostile quarters.

“This is a war between terrorism and polls and we will never let terrorism to win this war,” Rasheed said.

The PML-N leader said that the polls were held on time in United States despite floods, in Iran despite the Iran-Iraq war.

“80 percent Pakistan is in complete peace and only 20 percent is facing a law and order situation. Hence there is no reason why the elections cannot be held on time,” he said.