ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday announced to boycott the upcoming presidential election after expressing reservations over election schedule and role of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, PPP’s presidential candidate and senior leader Senator Raza Rabbani cited ECP’s role in the electoral process and expressed reservations over Supreme Court’s decision to advance the polling date to July 30, other than Aug 6 – the date fixed by ECP – on the request of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) without hearing other stakeholders.
“We are taking this decision to save the federation. We were left with no other option other than the boycott,” said Rabbani. He said the ECP failed to play its role independently.
Rabbani thanked other opposition partners for their support and said their favours could never be repaid.
On the other hand, Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan National Party (BNP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) supported the PPP’s call and also announced to boycott the upcoming president elections.
“We support the decision of Pakistan Peoples Party in boycotting the elections,” ANP’s senior leader Haji Adeel said in Peshawar.
Adeel said his party had already announced that it would support any decision taken by the PPP. He further said that the court had taken a ‘one-sided decision’ which was ‘unjust.’
The presidential poll is set to take place on July 30 instead of the original scheduled date of August 6 following an order of the Supreme Court. The apex court had issued the order following a petition filed by the federal government seeking a change in the schedule.
DND
