Daily Times

Candidates for the upcoming elections are trying hard to ensure victory by entering into alliances and seat adjustments, even if it means reaching out to extremist individuals. All three mainstream political parties have sought support from sectarian organisation Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), formerly Sipah Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) in different cities.

Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League – N (PML-N) candidate Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met ASWJ leadership at the organisation’s Islamabad office on July 10, to seek support for elections. The sectarian organisation had at the time reportedly denied support to Abbasi, but on Tuesday a spokesman confirmed that ASWJ will support him in NA 53 Islamabad. According to ASWJ, the former PM has promised to work on a law to protect ‘Namoos-e-Sahaba’ (sanctity of the companions of Prophet PBUH).

Earlier, PML-N candidate from NA 244 Karachi and former Finance Minister Miftah Ismael had also visited the office of ASWJ to get support for elections.

When contacted, Ismael said he was unaware of the outfit’s hate speech and its leaders’ terror links. “I don’t condone hate speech against minorities. The meeting was part of our efforts to contact representatives of different sects, but this does not mean I agree with their extremist views,” he told Daily Times. Ismael further clarified that he is against sectarianism, adding that he wouldn’t have visited the outfit’s office had he known about their criminal record.

“After my meeting with the ASWJ leadership, I received calls from a number of activists who lodged their protest and told me that ASWJ candidate Aurangzeb Farooqi was once named in a murder FIR and is involved in terrorism. After the backlash I faced on social media, I think I shouldn’t have gone to seek their support” he said.

Candidates belonging to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) whose Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been speaking out against ‘mainstreaming’ of banned organisations also sought ASWJ’s support. After pressure from the party’s supporters on social media, PPP Karachi President Saeed Ghani issued show cause notices to candidates Jameel Zia, Shahzad Memon and Agha Zahir Shah of NA 251, PS 103 and PS 119 respectively for their meeting with ASWJ leaders. However, several other candidates of the PPP have formed alliance with the banned outfit, and the party is yet to take action against them.

ASWJ has announced support to PPP candidates Sardar Malik in NA 12 Battagram and Fakhar Hayat in NA 86 Mandi Bahauddin. Sardar Malik Jan from NA 12 Battagram, Shehzad Memom from PS 103 Karachi, Ali Hasan Gilani from NA 173 among 3 other PPP candidates are also being supported by ASWJ for the July 25 general elections.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar on Tuesday announced on his official Facebook page that Global Designated Terrorist and terror group Harkat ul Mujahideen founder Fazlur Rehman Khalil has vowed to support PTI in the upcoming elections. After criticism on social media, Umar justified his meeting with the Al Qaeda-linked extremist saying that he has been making efforts for unity and harmony between various religious groups and sects. The PTI leader also said he was unaware that Khalil’s name was placed on the US terror watch list.

Apart from forming alliance with the controversial figure, PTI has also contacted ASWJ to get support for the upcoming elections and a total of 47 candidates of the party have been endorsed by the sectarian organisation across the country.

Ejaz Chaudhry from NA 133 Lahore, Faisal Vawda from NA 249 Karachi, Sadaqat Abbasi from NA 57 Rawalipindi, Omar Ayub Khan from NA 17 Haripur, Shaukat Ali from NA 31 Peshawar are among the PTI candidates being backed by ASWJ.

“All major parties try to have these extremist outfits on their side to secure seats in areas where these groups hold strength”, analyst Zahid Hussain told Daily Times. He said ASWJ is contesting from a new platform called Pakistan Rah-e-Haq, but Election Commission of Pakistan has turned a blind eye to the political activities of banned outfits under new names.

“These extremist outfits should not have been allowed to contest elections in the first place. Their presence in the electoral process puts a question mark on the state’s efforts against terrorism. Their campaign is based on hate speech, and their involvement in the elections will further radicalise the society.”

Hussain, however, added that religious vote bank in the country has shrunk and leaders of banned terror outfits will not be able to make it to the assemblies. “Nevertheless, electoral involvement of these groups and mainstream political leaders’ appeasement of the far right is concerning”, he concluded.

Published in Daily Times, July 21^st 2018.