Pakistan: PTI’s mandate was stolen in polls

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Senator Faisal Raza Abidi on Sunday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) mandate was stolen in the 2013 general election. Talking to media personnel, Abidi said the PPP, Awami National Party (ANP) and Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) should have refrained from taking part in the general election. He said open threats were hurled against the PPP, ANP and MQM and they were not allowed to come out in the open for campaigning. He viewed that these parties should have boycotted polls. The PPP leader said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary had admitted that transparent elections were not held in 50 constituencies, adding that how could notifications of results be issued in these constituencies. He went on to say that transparent polls will be held in 2014. Responding to a question, Abidi said if the Iran- Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project had been initiated in 2008, the PPP would have been torn apart. He said 71,000 Pakistanis had sacrificed their lives for IP gas pipeline project and Gwadar project. He said some world powers were hatching conspiracies against the IP project and Gwadar Port, adding that everything in this regard will be brought forth in the coming session of the Senate. Abidi said some elements in the PPP created distances between him and the party leadership. He said he had been fighting for the past four years and would continue his resistance.