ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Wednesday that his party has decided to boycott the by-election and will hold protests in various cities from April 25.
“We have decided not to recognize and reject the results of the February 8 election because this parliament is less representative of the people and more representative of the establishment,” the JUI-F said in a video message.
Major political parties including the JUI-F, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) rejected the elections held on February 8, alleging that the polls were rigged in favor of the current government.
Fazl said his party will have to gain the trust of the nation to unite for their right to vote and secure their votes. He added that they are also contacting other parties in this regard.
“This is our story and we have decided to move forward with it. We will start this movement called Awami Assembly from April 25 from Balochistan Pishin,” the politician said.
Fazl said that Awami rally will be held in Karachi on May 2 and Peshawar on May 9. After that, he added, the JUI-F will decide on the date for Lahore.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was left powerless and was not allowed to compile a single result,” Fazl lamented, adding that he was interfering in the affairs of the civic bureaucracy.
A senior politician said that for the first time the High Courts have also raised their voice that their affairs are being interfered with and they are being threatened.
Fazl added that his party will also boycott the upcoming by-elections — scheduled for April 21 — for the national and provincial assembly seats left vacant after the February 8 general election.
“We don’t believe the previous election results. How can we expect fairness in by-elections?” he added.
