Daily Times

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and other political parties, aligned against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, will stage a protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office in Islamabad today.

The protest is likely to be attended by leadership of all allied parties, including PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif.

Sources said that preparations had been finalised and members of anti-PTI alliance would gather at the Parliament House after 12pm today. The participants would then march up to the ECP office from the Parliament House.

Speaking to a private television channel, PML-N leader Mushahid Hussain Syed said that they would protest outside the ECP office against rigging in July 25 polls.

He said that his party was in contact with MMA, Awami National Party (ANP) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP). “We have also spoken to Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Hasil Bizenjo and other parties.”

Syed further said that they would decide as to how long the protest wound last, upon reaching outside the ECP office.

The PML-N leader said that it would be a grand protest against delay in election results, polls rigging and mismanagement.

Meanwhile, Islamabad police have also devised a security plan in the wake of the protest. Workers of political parties would not be allowed to enter the Red Zone under the security plan.

Meanwhile, the MMA on Tuesday named Maulana Asad Mehmood as its candidate for National Assembly deputy speaker.

MMA’s Shah Owais Noorani remarked that the decision was made during a party meeting chaired by party’s chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Earlier on Monday, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif also chaired a meeting of the party’s central executive committee, which deliberated upon a strategy to form government in the Centre and Punjab.

Speaking to media after the meeting, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the PML-N would continue their struggle along with other political parties, adding that they had directed individuals concerned to prepare ‘white papers’ with regard to the recently-held polls in the country.

Published in Daily Times, August 8^th 2018.