PPP demands review of election schedule for merged districts

PESHAWAR: PPP MPA Ahmad Kareem Kundi has expressed reservations over the schedule for the election in the merged districts and asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to review the plan.In a statement here on Thursday, he said the PPP had made efforts for the merger of erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and it would like to see true democracy flourishing there. “It would not allow a repeat of the July 25, 2018-like situation in these elections,” he added. He pointed out that the date fixed for finalising candidates is very short and only two days have been given for filing of nomination papers. The ECP should review the election schedule and give extension in the date for filing of nomination papers, he said and added that the electoral lists of people from tribal districts have not been finalized. These should be made public if completed. He said a large number of Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) were still living in the make-shift facilities which may have a negative impact on the electoral process like low turnout of voters.The PPP has always demanded early repatriation of the TDPs to their hometowns but it was not done under a conspiracy, he added. The MPA alleged that the government had finalised the poll-rigging plan in the tribal districts but warned the PPP workers would foil any such plan and not allow a repeat of July 25 general elections.The election commission, he said, had mentioned about the code of conduct in the election schedule for the tribal district which is already being violated. Ahmad Kareem Kundi said the prime minister and KP chief minister and ministers during visits to the tribal districts made announcements and launched development schemes which, he thought, was a violation of the ECP code of conduct.The PPP lawmaker said the ECP should implement its code of conduct for the tribal districts and take notice of the visits by the prime minister and the chief minister and pre-polls rigging. Land mines should be cleared before the polls and missing persons be recovered to take part in the election, he demanded. Ahmad Kareem Kundi hoped the PPP would win the election in the tribal districts with the overwhelming majority if polls were held free and fair.

from The News International - Peshawar http://bit.ly/2LuFx7l