Polls as mockery of nation: JI

F.P. Report

LAHORE: Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sirajul Haq terming the recent general elections as mockery of nation has said that Rs50 billion of national exchequer were wasted over a fraudulent exercise.

Addressing a press conference following his participation in a JI Youth meeting at Mansoorah on Thursday, he criticized the re-emergence of two dynasties against the people’s February 8 vote. Sirajul Haq asserted that a government formed on a fraudulent mandate would not sustain itself, emphasizing the need for a fair investigation into electoral rigging through a judicial commission. He called for the resignation of the Election Commissioner to ensure an impartial investigation.

He highlighted the disillusionment of the youth, stating that their confidence has wavered due to the alleged election rigging, which he claimed turned the country’s democracy into a laughingstock. The JI chief criticized the election commission, bureaucracy, and establishment for failing to meet public expectations regarding impartiality, citing instances of sudden changes in electoral results.

Claiming that the JI mandate was stolen in various constituencies, he pledged that the JI would not remain silent and would utilize constitutional and democratic processes to expose the alleged theft of the people’s mandate. He announced the JI plan to host a “Save the Democracy Conference” on February 26 in Islamabad, inviting members from civil society, independent observers, and lawyers.