QUETTA: Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) Chairman Abdul Khaliq Hazara launched a fierce attack on the provincial government and mainstream political parties during a series of campaign corner meetings for the upcoming local body elections in Quetta.
Addressing supporters in Zarghun Town, Hazara stated that the province’s deteriorated condition is a direct result of the 2024 general elections, where, he alleged, “fake people like mafia and parachutists” were given representation by sidelining the genuine representatives of the people. He claimed that those currently in the assemblies lack the “ability, courage and capacity” to resolve even minor public issues.
The criticism was echoed in separate meetings in Chiltan Town, addressed by party leaders including General Secretary Ahmed Ali Kohzad and nominated councilors. They accused the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of destroying Quetta through “complete injustice and contracting,” making every sector an “example of destruction.”
The HDP leadership squarely placed the responsibility for the city’s poor state on these two parties. They argued that by allegedly manipulating public mandate through ‘Form 47’—a reference to controversial election result documentation—these parties had “killed public opinion” and eroded trust in democracy itself.
Hazara framed the ongoing local government elections as a critical test for the public. “On one side, there are candidates nominated by real political parties, and on the other side, there are parties that are tarnishing democracy,” he said. He urged voters to reject “adventurers” and instead entrust the city’s leadership to HDP workers, whom he described as free from prejudice and capable of leading Quetta toward development and progress by redressing past losses.
Meanwhile the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday firmly rejected separate requests from the Balochistan chief minister and governor to postpone the upcoming local government elections in the province, ruling that the reasons cited were “not legally acceptable.”
In a decisive verdict, the commission affirmed that the polls would be held as scheduled on December 28, emphasizing that fulfilling this constitutional obligation was essential despite prevailing circumstances. The ECP highlighted that the delimitation process in Quetta had already been completed twice, all objections had been settled, and the Balochistan High Court had dismissed related petitions, clearing the path for the elections.
