KARACHI - The Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Friday staged a protest at Karachi Press Club against what it called pre-poll rigging in the by-elections going to held on the city’s two national and as many provincial constituencies.

Addressing the protesters, the TLP city chief Allama Razi Hussaini warned the federal government that the protest would be expanded, if the efforts, being made to refrain the TLP from participating in the elections are not stopped.

He alleged that their candidates are not being allowed to run their election campaign whereas the party’s aspirants have totally free hand. The protestors were carrying placards and chanting slogans against the Election Commission of Pakistan and the federal government.

The chief went on to say that the police instead of taking action against increasing street crimes in the city, is protecting the election banners and panaflexes of the PTI’s candidates. He reiterated that the TLP’s mandate was stolen in July 25, general elections yet they reacted sensibly for taking revenge in the by-polls but now the efforts are being made to repeat that exercise in the by-elections as well.

On the one hand, the government functionaries have started rigging the election and but the other hand, the TLP has also marshaled its troops for grand protest, he threatened.

“The people are fed up and seeing towards the TLP chief Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi,” he added. The chief demanded that their candidate Sohail Qadri whose nomination paper was rejected from NA-247 should be allowed to contest as well as their aspirants across the country should be given level playing field.

Karachi is the city of lovers of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) and the TLP would not left the Karachiites alone, he concluded.