PDM rejects the government’s unilateral electoral reforms: Maulana Fazl

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Wednesday rejected what it called the unilateral electoral reforms by the government calling the use of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) as the simplest way to rig elections.

PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman while addressing a press conference after a PDM meeting here said, “The EVM is the simplest way to rig elections and the PDM rejects the government’s unilateral electoral reforms and Azad Jammu and Kashmir election results held on July 25,”

He was flanked by PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders. He said the PDM rejects all electoral reforms by a selected government. He said the PDM had also decided to divert its energies to ensure fair, impartial and transparent elections in the country.

The Maulana said the PDM leaders took an in-depth review of internal and external challenges facing Pakistan after which the participants demanded that parliament should be taken into confidence on the situation in the neighboring war-torn country.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Mahmood Khan Achakzai, PMLN Senator Prof Sajid Mir, National Party Senator Mir Kabir Mohammad Shahi, JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani, Qaumi Watan Party leader Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Shah Owais Noorani also attended the meeting.

PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz attended the meeting via video link, while other party leaders were present in person. The PDM meeting felt that the county was faced with many internal external challenges.

“The present fake government is facing failures on all the internal and foreign fronts,” he said that the country is facing isolation in the world. He said that PDM leaders took an in-depth review of the internal and external challenges facing Pakistan, after which, the meeting’s participants demanded that opposition lawmakers be taken into confidence on the situation in the neighbouring war-torn country

He said the PDM meeting also observed that refusal to allow a Pakistani representative in the United Nations Security Council’s session also blotted the image and prestige of the country in the world.

Fazalur Rehman said that there was no constitutional governance in the country, freedom of expression under threat and journalists were being targeted, saying the PDM leadership also felt that institutions should work within the constitutional framework so that the country can follow the Constitution in letter and spirit. He said the PDM leadership believed that NAB and FIA have become political institutions, who have lost their standing, as they are being used against the opposition

The PDM demands cases registered by the FIA against journalists withdrawn, he said, adding that the government must end its tactics to bully the media. PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif said that the most failed Prime Minister Imran Khan had failed on all the fronts, saying that price and unemployment had broken the back of the common man.

“The government within less than two months after the announcement of the federal budget has imposed heavy taxation on people,” he said. Shehbaz said PMLN Quaid Nawaz Sharif’s medical treatment was underway in the UK and a heart-related operation would also be carried out at a proper time.

“Nawaz Sharif will not return until fully treated; it is unfortunate that the government is politicising the health of a three-time prime minister,” he said. The PML-N president reminded everyone that several people had “stooped so low” that when Nawaz’s wife was on her deathbed, they would make “absurd” comments about her health.

The Maulana said the government has sucked the last drop of people’s blood with historic inflation and unemployment in its bid to meet the conditions of the International Monetary Fund.

The meeting also decided to appoint Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Khan Sherpao as senior vice-president of the movement. Fazalur Rehman said there would be a meeting of the steering committee on Aug 21 to discuss the future strategy in the light proposals given at Wednesday’s meeting held in Islamabad.

There was a meeting of party heads in Karachi on Aug 28 to ponder over recommendations of the steering committee followed by a public meeting in Sindh province capital on Aug 29. The meeting also expressed condolences over the death of chairman of Majlis Tahafuz Khatam-e-Nabuwwat (SAWW) Maulana Abdul Razzaq Sikandar and Senator Usman Kakar.