The board of directors of Moderates has strongly condemned the spate of bomb attacks that have hit election meetings of various political parties as well as ethnic communities killing hundreds of innocent citizens in various parts of the country including Karachi and Peshawar.
In a statement issued on Friday, Chairman of Moderates Syed Jawaid Iqbal condemned the brutal attacks and said: “It appears the attacks are well-coordinated, leaving the nation bleeding and affecting the possibility of elections scheduled to be held on May 11. While no responsibility can be laid at the doors of any specific party or group for these attacks, one would not have to go too far to find out where such violence is emanating from.”
He urged state institutions, particularly the law enforcement agencies, to take extraordinary measures in this connection so that a level playing field could be provided to all political parties in the run-up to the elections. He also demanded that contingents of army be deployed in sensitive areas to facilitate political activities in a safe and peaceful manner.
The meeting of the board of directors of Moderates (a private-sector think tank dedicated to strengthening tolerance, interfaith harmony and democracy) called upon the election commission as well as all concerned government agencies to prevent the string of bomb attacks directed at the election offices and election activities of targeted political parties so that the promised ‘free and fair’ elections could be held in a conducive atmosphere.
The meeting observed that Islam brought the message of peace and amity to mankind and it was time the caretaker government took due cognizance of the dastardly acts of terror as it was a part of their mandate to ensure a smooth democratic transition in the country.
