LAHORE – Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Syed Munawar Hassan alleged on Monday that the PPP was paving way for the MQM’s hold in urban Sindh, especially Karachi and Hyderabad, through the local government elections, which were aimed at escaping the upcoming general elections and continuing in power.
In a statement, Munawar said President Asif Ali Zardari’s sudden decision regarding the local government elections was a well thought out plan that could endanger the country’s solidarity. He also appealed to the nation and opposition parties to join hands for foiling this conspiracy.
The Jamaat-e-Islami ameer said the MQM had been pressurising the PPP leadership to hold the local government elections before the general elections, so that it could establish its hold in the local bodies for getting desired results in the general elections.
He alleged that Zardari had become a tool in the hands of the MQM and he was ready to implement whatever order he got from London via Rehman Malik, even if it went against national interests.
Munawar said the PPP, foreseeing its defeat in the upcoming general elections, was putting the country’s solidarity at stake. He said the Jamaat-e-Islami had always supported the local government elections; however, Zardari’s recent statement in this regard had stunned the nation because the PPP had never done this during its four terms in office.
“But now, with the general elections approaching and the term of the government coming to an end, the statement about the local government elections is significant; it seems that the PPP is conspiring to postpone the general elections for at least a year,” the Jamaat-e-Islami ameer viewed.
Munawar feared that if the PPP was successful in its designs, target killings, extortion and gunny bagged dead bodies would also spread to other cities of Sindh. “This is high time to set up an interim government for holding general elections, but the PPP is trying to sabotage the entire process,” he added.