ARD likely to field Hashmi against Aziz in NA

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians decided on Thursday that the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) would field a joint candidate against prime minister-designate Shaukat Aziz in the National Assembly.

The decision was made at a parliamentary meeting of the PPPP at Parliament House on Thursday. Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim chaired the meeting.

The ARD would make a decision about a joint candidate in the next meeting. A source said that Makhdoom Javed Hashmi was expected to challenge Shaukat Aziz in the contest as an ARD candidate.

The meeting condemned what it called engineered by-polls and said opposition supporters and workers were harassed to facilitate Shaukat Aziz.

The meeting was told that an adjournment motion had been submitted with the National Assembly secretariat against the killing of three PPPP workers in Fatehjang before the by-elections.

The Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians leaders alleged that voters lists were altered in Tharparkar and Attock, bogus votes were polled, and opposition supporters were threatened with dire consequences.

ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim said Shaukat Aziz’s victory was announced before the release of the unofficial results by the Election Commission. He said the Election Commission had failed to take note of the pre-poll irregularities by the government machinery. online

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