Bilawal warns against polls delay as KP admin raises security fears

• KP admin advises PPP chairman to avoid public rallies in Peshawar, Malakand, suggests staying within cantonment areas

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was barred from holding its planned public rallies in Peshawar and Malakand in light of the recent terrorist attacks in Peshawar and Balochistan ahead of the upcoming general elections, as the party’s young chief warned against any delay in holding of the polls.

The party had planned public gatherings in the two cities as part of its election campaign and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto was already in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on a two-day visit.

Due to the recent wave of terrorist attacks, the KP district administration refused to give permission to the PPP for holding public rallies.

The administration also advised the PPP chairperson to stay within cantonment areas.

Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto said his party will fully take part in the elections in the face of all recent happenings.

Discussing the election atmosphere in different parts of the country with the journalists, he pointed out that pre-poll rigging attempts are underway in KP.

He said polls will fall under the shadow of a doubt if all political parties were not provided “level-playing field”. “I kept saying that National Action Plan on counter-terrorism is not being implemented, but they fell on deaf ears,” he added.

He said party leaders are being “advised” to join other political parties.

He underlined that he was facing several obstacles as soon as he left Karachi for other cities as part of an election campaign.

About the election-related issues, Bilawal said his party would raise its concerns not just among the people, but also in the Parliament.

Bilawal maintained that problems of people couldn’t be resolved until institutions were made stronger and empowered. He vowed to bring all political forces on one page if he comes to power.

Earlier, 22 people including ANP’s electoral candidate Haroon Bilour were martyred in Peshawar as two deadly bombings rattled rallies in Mastung and Bannu on Friday, killing at least 134 people and injuring scores of others.

Moreover,  a suicide bomber, carrying at least 15kg of explosives, had struck a Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) election rally in Mastung, martyring PB-35 candidate and former Balochistan chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani’s brother Nawabzada Siraj Raisani and 132 others.

Earlier on the same day, at least four people were killed and 32 others were injured in a bomb blast near the convoy of former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Akram Khan Durrani in Bannu.