Tehreek-e-Insaf to contest polls in full force: Imran Khan

RAHIM YAR KHAN Jan 22 (APP): Tehreek-e-Insaf Pakistan will  fully participate in the next general elections, whether or  not PML-N and PPP chiefs return to the country to take part in  the polls.

This was stated by Tehreek Chief Imran Khan while addressing  a press conference here Monday. Other senior party leaders were  also present.

He said although he was very much involved in pre-poll arrangements,  these activities will not hinder his commitment to social welfare,  where he is fully active and the work continues as usual.

“Shaukat Khanum Hospital, with an annual expenditure of Rs 700  million, has been providing free treatment to needy and deserving cancer patients,” he said.

A similar hospital will soon be established in Karachi,  while a technical college has been planned to set up in Mianwali  later this year, he added.

The Tehreek chief said that his dedication to welfare work  will not be affected by his political and patriotic aspirations.

Source: Associated Press of Pakistan

PTI to contest election under Musharraf if opposition decides to do so

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) would contest the forthcoming election under Musharraf if the opposition parties were ready to run for election under the current setup, said PTI chairman Imran Khan.

Talking to a private TV channel, Imran Khan, said that the PTI would see what the opposition parties decide about participating in the election; however, he said that his party had started election preparation.

Talking about the All Parties Conference (APC) convened by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Mian Nawaz Sharif, he said, it had so far not been decided whether the conference would take place or not. He, however, said the opposition must unite on any platform and take tangible steps for the restoration of democracy.

Responding to a question, Imran Khan, rejected the allegation that the intelligence agencies had got him elected in the previous elections. He said if I was elected by the support of agencies, the entire members of ruling PML would have been elected by the support of intelligence agencies.

Source: Online News

لاکھوں افراد ووٹر لسٹ سے خارج

پاکستان میں انتخابی عمل کی نگرانی کرنے والی پینتیس غیرسرکاری تنظیموں نے کہا ہے کہ ملک میں آئندہ عام انتخابات کے لیے جس طریقے سے ووٹر فہرستیں تیار کی جارہی ہیں اس سے سوا دو کروڑ سے زیادہ افراد حق رائے دہی سےمحروم ہو جائیں گے۔

چاروں صوبوں میں کام کرنے والی پینتیس مختلف غیرسرکاری تنظیموں (این جی اوز) نے فری اینڈ فیئر الیکشن نیٹ ورک (فافین) کے نام سے ایک مشترکہ تنظیم بنائی ہے جس کا مقصد منصفانہ انتخابات کے لیے شہریوں کی مدد سے انتخابی عمل کی نگرانی کرنا ہے۔

جمعہ کو لاہور میں غیرسرکاری تنظیم فافین کے اجلاس کے بعد اس کے سیکرٹری جنرل سرور باری نے کہا کہ سرکاری اعداد و شمار کے مطابق ملک میں تقریبًا سوا دو کروڑ افراد کے پاس شناختی کارڈ نہیں ہے جس سے ان کا نام ووٹر لسٹوں میں درج نہیں کیا جا رہا۔

Imran might contest NA polls from 2 Lahore seats

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan might to contest the election for a National Assembly seat from two Lahore constituencies, in addition to contesting from his home constituency in Mianwali, Punjab PTI information secretary Umer Cheema said on Thursday.

However, he said, a final decision would be taken after negotiations with other political parties.

PTI sources told Daily Times that Imran could contest the Lahore constituencies NA-125 and NA-126. Imran had in the 2002 election contested NA-121 (Lahore), but lost to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Imran Khan in ‘Capital Talk’

This episode of Capital talk was recently aired on GEO after IRI poll results were published declaring Musharraf as most popular.

Courtesy: moveforjustice.org

Spooks trying to create rift in opposition alliance: Imran

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has termed the reign of General Pervez Musharraf as the worst in the country’s history claiming it has weakened the federation leading to a sense of deprivation.
In an interview with The Nation newspaper published yesterday he claimed the incumbent ruling set-up comprises “a bunch of mischievous people” and alleged that the corruption done by the ruling politicians was “beyond compare.”

Khan alleged that operatives of secret agencies worked for creating a rift among the ranks of political opposition. He said the basic motives of any dictator had been to weaken the democratic institutions, undermine the prestige of judiciary and render the bureaucracy completely ineffective.
“This leads to the decline of values of equality and social justice which causes suppression, chaos and disorder,” he said.

Gen. Musharraf on Billboards

 Government has been spending a lot of money on image building of General Musharraf.

Unfair elections to harm ties: EU

LAHORE, Dec 21: The visiting European Union (EU) delegation has made it clear to the Pakistan government that if the forthcoming general elections are not held in a fair and transparent manner, the country stands a chance of impairing its relations with the EU.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the seven-member delegation of the European Parliament, led by British Parliament member Ms Nina Gill, said the general elections 2007 should be held in a transparent manner, with complete schedule being announced well in advance of six months, enabling the EU monitoring team to survey the pre-election and post-election procedures carefully.

She said that at a meeting with the chief election commissioner, the delegates had stressed on the approval of all the conditions and recommendations applied during the previous elections.

In reply to a question, the leader of the delegation said President General Pervez Musharraf had assured them of ‘keeping his promises’. No delegation member replied when asked why the EU had so far supported a president in uniform.

Continue reading on: Dawn

Uniform will stay: Musharraf

NEW DELHI: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said that he will not give up his position as the chief of the army before polls next year. In an interview to a private Indian TV channel, the Pakistani ruler, who came to power in a coup in 1999, said he would continue to hold the job as the army chief as long as the constitution allowed him to.

“The constitution allows me to hold it till 2007, so I will hold it. So if the elections, as I said are in November, I will be in uniform,” Musharraf said.

Musharraf said it was not easy to give up the army uniform. “It’s not easy, because there are some perceptions. At this moment what Pakistan is facing needs a unity, a unity of command over important organs of state, which includes the military, the political and the bureaucracy.”

The president, however, did not give a definite date for the polls, saying they could be held late 2007 or early 2008.

Musharraf also told the network that he would not allow exiled former Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to contest elections next year as both of them have been convicted by court.

“Both of them are convicted. One of them has gone out (of Pakistan) for 10 years for an agreement, by himself. And the other is out since,” Musharraf said.

Source: Times of India

An interim set-up for free polls

The problem with an interim government is that under the present civilian-military mix, it is the military that holds the rod, and an interim set-up, even if established by a consensus, will not be all that free to ensure a fair election if the generals do not go along. The military’s interests lie in a continuation of the present set-up in which Gen Musharraf is both head of state and army chief. This duality ensures the army’s control of the state’s civilian apparatus and the subservience of the elected government to it. In practical terms, thus, an independent election commission and an interim set-up will be of little value in ensuring a fair and free election unless the military and its intelligence agencies decide not to interfere with the electoral process and do not think it is their duty to ensure “positive results” and a compliant parliament.

Full Article: Dawn Editorial

Imran for joint struggle against military rule

KOHAT, Nov 28: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan has urged opposition parties to agree on a one-point agenda of removing the government of Gen Pervez Musharraf to ensure free and fair polls.

Addressing a big public meeting at the Company Park here on Tuesday, he said: “The opposition is indecisive whether to get rid of the dictator first or to contest elections under his authority, as leaders of main political parties are still shuttling between Islamabad and London for a patch-up.”

He said that he was so disappointed by the attitude of some opposition parties that his party had decided to launch a mass movement against the government alone. He said the opposition should immediately start a joint struggle for removal of present government.

“They, on one hand, say that fair elections are not possible under President Gen Musharraf but at the same time are preparing for election campaign. They should realise that we have no other option but to get rid of Gen Musharraf before elections.”

Criticising the passage of the Protection of Women Bill in a hurry he observed that it was just an eyewash and in fact Gen Musharraf had amended the Hudood Laws to please the West.

He said the government could have waited for another year to enact the bill through a legitimate parliament. He said parliament should do legislation to check corruption, unemployment, price hike and law and order and to ensure education and health to the people of Pakistan.

“President Musharraf showed fists to the nation in his speeches while wearing commando uniform to teach lesson to extremists, but surrendered the sovereignty of the state on a single phone call from the US after 9/11. He chose salutation for the Pentagon and bombs for innocent tribal people and Afghanistan. Had their been a true leadership in the country the situation would have been much different,” he remarked.

He condemned the Bajaur incident and asked President Musharraf not to malign military by taking its responsibility, because it was undoubtedly a US action. He said after the statement of Gen Musharraf that the Pakistani military had conducted the whole operation, many innocent soldiers lost lives in the Dargai suicide attack.

Imran Khan said that solution to the problems of Pakistani people lay in independence of judiciary, declaration of education and employment emergency and bringing real tax reforms by making 90 pert cent direct recoveries from the rich.

Secretary general of the TIP, Admiral Javed Khan alleged that the earlier military dictators gave away three out of five rivers to India and their followers divided Pakistan.

Source: Dawn

How democracy works in Pakistan

29 – 9 – 2006

The authorities in Islamabad have many ways to ensure the right result in elections. Irfan Husain tells some tales from the polling booth.

The circumstances surrounding the destruction of a madrasa in Bajaur which killed up to eighty-five people on 30 October 2006 demonstrate yet again the tricky nature of President Pervez Musharraf’s current balancing-act. In particular, the involvement of the United States in the assault, and the nature of the protests in its aftermath, reveal Musharraf to be caught between the hammer of Washington’s demands and the anvil of his people’s rising anger.

Continue reading on: www.opendemocracy.net

Irfan Husain is a columnist with Dawn newspaper in Pakistan.

Free and Fair Election Network launched

Islamabad: Civil society organisations have come together to monitor all aspects of the electoral processes and work for free and fair elections and formed a Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), which was formally launched on Tuesday in Islamabad. The monitoring work of FAFEN would focus on the actual conduct of the elections and the various stages and processes before and after the elections.

In the past, election results have rarely been accepted as free and fair, which seriously undermined the process of democratic development. People have lost confidence in participating in the country’s governance through the power of their vote. This confidence needed to be restored and so the civil society organisations realised their responsibility to come forward and play their role. As a network, FAFEN is committed to work in an impartial and a non-partisan manner.

FAFEN Secretary General Sarwar Bari said that in order to seek feedback for ensuring free and fair elections, FAFEN would soon hold consultations with political parties and the elections authorities to evolve its strategy for the monitoring of elections. Political parties were the main stakeholders in elections and thus FAFEN would value their views and feedback in the process of developing and implementing its monitoring initiatives, he said.

Unlike previous elections observations, FAFEN will adopt a holistic and proactive approach in the process of monitoring the behaviour and activities of the government, the election authorities, the media and the political parties. In line with international best practices, FAFEN will identify the related problems and gaps and inform the public. FAFEN will undertake appropriate advocacy initiatives to persuade the election authorities, the government and the political parties for electoral and democratic reforms.

FAFEN consists of a general body and an elected executive council of seven members, which includes one member from each province, two general members and a secretary general. EC members include Sarwar Bari (Pattan), Mukhtar Ahmad Ali (CPDI-Pakistan), Sadiqa Salahuddin (IRC), Nasrullah Khan (CPD), Mukhtar Javed (Sungi), Muhammad Zahid Islam (Sangat) and Mussarat Qadeem (Paiman). FAFEN’s aim is to promote democratic polity and strive for participation of the citizenry in electoral, political and governance processes and structures through awareness, mobilisation, empowerment, research and advocacy.

Source: Daily Times