ANP questions creditability of polls

The Awami National Party (ANP) on Sunday urged people to ask those political parties which are not condemning terrorist attacks on ANP, MQM and PPP.
Talking to Pakistan Today, ANP Spokesman Zahid Khan said credibility of elections would be affected if situation remained persistent.
Condemning the recent terrorist attacks, he asked where the Supreme Court (SC) and the caretaker governments were when the banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) warned to restrict specific parties from going into polls.
He questioned why no action was taken against those posing threat to the political parties?
“However, whatever conditions would be, ANP would still participate in the polls without turning violent,” Khan added.
The ANP leader asked why the SC is silent over the issue, when only specific parties are being targeted by the TTP.
Khan said the people should question those political parties who do not condemn such incidents and were carrying out rallies independently without any fear.
Expressing his serious concerns, the ANP spokesman said what would be the creditability of the coming elections if democratic forces are pushed to the wall.
“The need of time is to hold and contest polls in every case and ANP would contest them with full zeal for the sack of the country,” he added.
Expressing his party’s future strategy, Khan said the ANP did not have any militant wings to raise them against Taliban, adding that being the followers of the ideology of Bacha khan it would deal with the situation peacefully.
“What we can do when our opponents are using force?” Khan questioned. He said that his party leadership would continue door-to-door campaign and would not retreat.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Pervez Rasheed said all political parties support the opinion that polls should be staged on May 11 in every case.
“This is a war between terrorism and polls, so we will never let terrorism to win this war,” Rasheed noted.
The PML-N leader said polls were held in the United States despite floods, in Iran during Iran-Iraq war, adding that the situation was not that worst in Pakistan.
“80 percent of Pakistan is in complete peace only 20 percent is facing law and order situation and that is an old phenomenon there. Elections should be held in time,” he concluded.