QUETTA: The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) described the postponement of Quetta’s local body elections, scheduled for December 28, as a “theft of the public mandate” while protesting the decision on Sunday in front of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) provincial office.
The protest was organized and led by the JI Quetta Chapter President, Abdul Naeem, and other leading figures of the party. The protesters chanted slogans against the ECP and the provincial government, raising banners and placards bearing strong condemnations.
The District Amir of JI, Mr. Naeem, addressed the media and reporters. He stated that the government feared a setback in the elections, which is why it postponed the polls—awaited for almost 30 years—with what he called “lame justifications.” He said political parties and candidates had spent billions of rupees on campaigns, and that the government had suddenly announced the postponement without prior warning or consultation just two days before the scheduled date. He said the JI would not accept any alternative to the local body election system and demanded the government reimburse or compensate the nominated candidates for their substantial expenses.
Meanwhile, other JI members, in their addresses, accused the government of “fleeing the ground” due to fear of a public verdict in the elections. They alleged the government had no moral authority to face the public and that postponement with “poor excuses” was the easy way to avoid an electoral loss.
JI candidates running in the polls said they were prepared for the election, having completed their groundwork, and that people were ready to trust their party. They stated that the JI’s consistent focus on grassroots work was the reason for its anticipated success, which they claimed had frightened the government into postponing the election.
Meanwhile the employees of the Federal Levies Force continued their protest for a third consecutive day on Sunday, demanding the Balochistan government fulfill promises regarding their merger, unpaid salaries, and retirement packages.
The protesters have established a camp on Adalat Road in the premises of the Quetta Press Club. They state that Chief Minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti had pledged to merge the Federal Levies with the Balochistan Levies, release their frozen salaries, and provide a “golden handshake” retirement benefit to aged employees. To date, none of these core demands—including the implementation of a sons’ job quota—have been met.
