KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Friday criticised and expressed strong concerns over questions being asked by the Returning Officers (ROs) from election candidates and described the exercise only aimed at humiliating politicians.
Addressing party workers via telephone from London, the MQM founder cited the case where “nomination papers of a candidate were rejected only because he wrote a column on Ideology of Pakistan,” a reference towards journalist and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz nominee from Chakwal Ayaz Amir.
The MQM chief accused ROs of violating articles 62 and 63 of the constitution and the questions being asked were creating serious doubts amongst the people over holding of the scheduled May 11 general elections on time.
“The needless questions asked are humiliating the politicians and the exercise could in the end delay the general elections. I also urge Supreme Court of Pakistan and parliament to define ideology of Pakistan,” Altaf said.
The MQM chief also criticised the decision to redraw certain constituencies of Karachi that he claimed was against the constitution as well as meant to damage his party. “Delimitation of constituencies can only be done after census but only Karachi has been picked,” he questioned.
Meanwhile, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said the army would like all political parties in the restive Balochistan to participate in the upcoming elections.
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