islamabad - When the voters in large number came out on May 11 to favour parties of their own choice, the two political parties - Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) - boycotted the general elections while the former staged countrywide protests on the polling day.
The chiefs of both the parties - Dr. Tahirul Qadri of PAT and General (retd) Pervez Musharraf of APML - had landed in Pakistan before the elections under mysterious circumstances giving rise to many conspiracy theories.
At a time when the voters of PAT did not turn up to the polling stations to cast their vote as a protest, the supporters of APML voted for the candidates of other parties.
PAT staged protest sit-ins in different parts of the country denying the present electoral system including at Aabpara Chowk of Islamabad, in the heart of capital city. Hundreds of workers of PAT had started gathering at the main chowk since 9am and staged a protest sit-in till 5 pm. The protestors were carrying placards and were continuously raising slogans against the present electoral system. The protestors also took their launch at the protest venue.
Dr Tahirul Qadri, the chief of PAT, made an address to the protestors through video link from Model Town Lahore, party’s central secretariat, to the protestors in 300 cities of around 150 countries, says an official press release issued by the PAT.
Dr Qadri in the address said that their protest against the present electoral system in Pakistan would continue till a real change. “All the political parties stand united to save this system of status quo while PAT alone stands alone to knock down it,” said PAT chief in his address. Ghulam Ali, media coordinator of PAT, also known as Tehreek-e-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) while talking to The Nation said that his party supporters staged protests through out the country, as it did not believe in the present electoral system. He said the chief of PAT Dr Tahirul Qadri had already showed his ill confidence on the present electoral system and had said that the composition of the present Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was unconstitutional.
On the other hand, Secretary General APML, Dr Amjad said though his party had decided to boycott the elections yet all workers of the APML had caste their votes to other candidates. “I, myself has caste my votes,” he said adding that his party had only boycotted because of the indifferent attitude of courts and ECP against the party president Pervez Musharraf.