Jamaat-e-Islami denies any electoral alliance with PML-N, PPP
Dec 17, 2023
Islamabad [Pakistan], December 17 : Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq on Sunday said that they will not form an electoral alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan-based ARY News reported.
Speaking to reporters, Sirajul Haq said, JI will not allow anyone to rob the public mandate in the upcoming elections. He said, "PML-N and PPP destroyed the entire country. JI will not accept the election results if fair elections are not held and a level playing field is not provided to all political parties."
He announced that JI has given election tickets to more than 50 per cent of candidates. He said that a favourable environment is being created for a blue-eyed personality, according to ARY News report.
Sirajul Haq stressed that the establishment, judiciary and election commission must remain impartial in holding free and fair general elections. He called Jamaat-e-Islami the best option for Pakistan in the upcoming elections, according to ARY News report.
He said that JI's election manifesto makes Pakistan a welfare, prosperous and peaceful state. JI Ameer said that three major political parties did not deliver despite getting many opportunities. Sirajul Haq stated that Jamaat-e-Islami will change the obsolete governance system of Pakistan after becoming successful in the polls.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has resumed the training of returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs) in Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.
The ECP's spokesperson said 850 ROs and 144 DROs are currently being trained by senior ECP officers. The training of the officers is expected to be completed by December 19.
A letter has been sent by DC Islamabad, in his capacity as a DRO to the Federal Directorate of Education directing that leave should not be granted to employees, according to the Express Tribune report.
Authorities have been asked not to allow government employees to take leave, with maternity and medical leaves exempted from the order.
The staff responsible for supervising electoral activities have been asked to remain in the city where they have been posted until the elections set to take place on February 8, according to The Express Tribune report.
On December 13, the Lahore High Court (LHC) at the request of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), invalidated ECP's notification regarding the appointment of the ROs and DROs for elections from the bureaucracy of Punjab, The Express Tribune reported.
The order issued by the Lahore High Court had paused the training of election staff in Pakistan. However, the Supreme Court suspended the LHC's order and permitted the electoral body to continue the training of ROs, DROs and assistant returning officers (AROs). The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday night issued the election schedule for the general polls set to take place on February 8.
