QUETTA: Former deputy chairman of the Senate Abdul Ghafoor Haideri has rejected the decisions of the Election Commission of Pakistan on the petitions filed by political parties against the new delimitation of constituencies of the national and provincial assembles in Balochistan and termed it a joke.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, he wondered how a candidate could cover a constituency which was spread over 1,100km in Balochistan.

Mr Haideri, who is also secretary general of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, said that after the 2013 general elections nationalists were allowed to form a coalition government in Balochistan, but they failed to deliver.

He said the practice of stealing JUI-F’s votes would not be allowed to be repeated in the province. Pakistan could not afford any delay in the next general elections, he added.

“All institutions are being precluded to work in their limits because creating hurdles in conducting general elections will create more concerns among the people.”

He announced that the JUI-F Balochistan would hold a public gathering in Magochar to remember party workers killed last year in a suicide attack near Mastung.

“Twenty-six JUI workers had lost their lives in the attack but the investigation report is yet to be submitted. Our party wants to know who carried out the attack. We are going to hold a Shuhada conference in this regard on May 11,” he said.

Referring to withdrawal of security from government officials and politicians following an order of the Supreme Court, the former deputy chairman of the Senate said that his security had been withdrawn after the recent Senate elections. The government would be held responsible if something happened, he added.

Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan for his last public gathering in Lahore, Mr Haideri said bringing girls for a dance party in the name of a public rally became PTI trend. According to a state agency’s report, there were 15,000 to 20,000 people in the PTI’s rally, he said.

“We are going to show power on May 13 in Lahore and it would be the largest public rally in the history of Pakistan,” he claimed.

He condemned the recent targeted killings in Quetta and said the JUI F always stood steadfast against terrorism and it would never allow anyone to create a state within the state.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2018