Pakistan: GDA, JI and JUI-F reject February 8 polls, demand fresh elections

Islamabad [Pakistan], February 28 : Three Opposition parties - the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Tuesday rejected the results of elections held in Pakistan on February 8 and demanded fresh polls, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. The three parties have warned that they would not remain silent and the protest against the alleged rigging will continue with more force and intensity.
The three parties, which has recently joined hands to protest against the "'manipulated and rigged' elections" announced setting up of a committee to plan a 'portest campaign' A large number of workers of the three parties gathered outside the Karachi Press Club and held protest in line a province-wide call for observing the 'black day,' according to Dawn report.
The opposition parties had given the call to observe the black day in protest against the police action to scatter their protest planned outside the Sindh Assembly on February 25 over alleged rigging in the elections held on February 8. Carrying placards and banners, the protesters shouted slogans against 'theft' of mandate. Some of the protesters even carried black flags.
Addressing the protesters, GDA's secretary general Safdar Abbasi said that the people of Sindh will not accept the dual faced democracy with bogus results. He said that people had already rejected the politics of hatred and terror and stressed that those who had imposed criminal elements on people of Karachi had done a disservice to Pakistan and the people of this country.
Abbasi said, "The Feb 8 elections were not the elections, they were actually an organised and planned robbery which can never be accepted and forgiven." He said that the polls conducted on February 8 have further deepened instability, according to Dawn report.
He stated, "Instead of bringing stability and calm, these polls have further deepened instability. If they are accepted and not fixed, they would cause irreparable damage to the country. For the stability of the country, these elections should be declared null and void."
Addressing the protest, JI leader Osama Razi said that the people will not extend the scope of protest if the authorities did not make changes to the elections results according to Form-45s. He stated that entire country was paying the price for what happened on February 8 in the name of polls.
Osama Razi said protest will continue till its logical conclusion. He requested the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take notice of the alleged rigging in polls. He said, "Those who are celebrating their fake victories are unable to face the public."
Razi said, "Even the formation of the governments in the Centre and provinces has become a challenge for these mandate thieves. Every party which has won doesn't want to share the burden of the government because it knows that any coalition which is based on fake mandate is not going to survive."
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to hold a protest on March 2 against the alleged rigging in the elections held on February 8, Pakistan-based Geo News reported. The party founded by Imran Khan announced that other political parties would also join them.
PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub, who is also the party's candidate for the prime minister's position, spoke about the "large scale" rigging in the elections. He made the remarks in a press conference after his meeting with PTI founder Imran Khan, Geo News repoorted.
Ayub said PTI will hold nationwide protests against "rigging" in elections alongside other political parties. He said, "Our seats were stolen with just a stroke of the pen. The people gave the mandate to the former PTI chairman. Nation's mandate and our seats have been attacked." He said that PTI will hold protests in courts and assemblies.