Daily Times

LAHORE: The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), the political party of the former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf, Friday announced to boycott the NA-120 by-election. The announcement was made by the party’s central Secretary General Dr Muhammad Amjad and Syed Waseem Shah, the party’s candidate for the by-poll, while holding a press conference at the Lahore Press Club (LPC). APML chief organiser Faqeer Hussain Bukhari, Punjab chief organiser Chaudhry Ashraf, central Punjab president Hammayyun Sharafat, Lahore chapter vice president Mian Adnan Farooq were also present on this occasion to endorse the decision. Talking to the media, the APML leaders said that they had decided to boycott the by-poll after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was showing “reluctance” in allotting the election symbol of “hawk” to their candidate. They said that they had submitted many applications to the ECP but it did not address them, “which was totally unfair”. To a query, Faqeer Hussain Bukhari alleged that their political rivals had removed the banners and posters of their candidate from the NA-120 constituency. He said that the ECP and the returning officer for the by-poll did not take any action despite several complaints. Replying to another question, he said that the party had not decided to support any other candidate. The APML leaders also avoided commenting over the return of Musharraf in Benazir Bhutto murder case in which he has been declared an absconder.

Published in Daily Times, September 9^th 2017.