QUETTA: The Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) has strongly condemned the eleventh-hour postponement of the long-awaited local government elections in Quetta, terming it an “unconstitutional” act that deprives citizens of their fundamental right to representation.
In a sharply worded statement issued on Sunday, the HDP expressed profound regret over the decision, stating there was “no justification” for delaying the polls when all preparations were complete, political activities had been ongoing for a month, over a hundred candidates had already been elected unopposed, and only three days remained until election day. The party highlighted that the citizens of Quetta have been without local government representatives for an entire decade.
“The citizens of Quetta have been deprived of local government representatives for the last 10 years,” the statement noted, adding that “despite the full preparation of the Election Commission, depriving the people of the right to representation is itself an unconstitutional act.”
The HDP accused “some unserious and public-trusted Form 47 parties” of playing an “anti-people role” by obstructing the democratic process—a veiled reference to parties benefiting from controversial election results. The party also questioned the logic behind applying different census data for Quetta compared to the rest of Balochistan, asking, “When local government elections were held across Balochistan based on the 2017 census, how can there be justification for holding elections in Quetta based on the 2023 census?”
Asserting its commitment to the public’s right to self-governance, the HDP announced it would approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan, alongside other political parties, to challenge the postponement and continue its struggle for democratic rights.
Meanwhile the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) has signaled its willingness to engage in talks in response to the Prime Minister’s offer of negotiations, while stressing that a new national charter is critically needed for any meaningful dialogue.
A meeting of the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen Pakistan was convened under the chairmanship of Mahmood Khan Achakzai, with participation from Vice Chairman Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Asad Qaiser.
According to the issued declaration, the session also saw attendance from Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Sajid Tareen, and Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai.
