ARD to observe black day in Pakistan on Oct-12
Pakistan Times Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) in a bid to protest against the alleged polls related riggings in the third phase, rise in oil prices and other policies of the current government has announced here to observe Black
Day on October-12.

Chairman ARD, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, talking to media said it has proved that the government has no respect for public opinion as the people have witnessed the situation during the third phase of local body elections across the country.

He expressed his dismay over the inaction of Election Commission (EC) that, he said was unable to implement its own directives regarding fairness of LG elections.

Fahim alleged that in Sindh province, during the poll hours, the police was deputed there to dictate the voters to cast the vote in favour of the ruling party candidates. In Rawalpindi, the polling officer himself was checking the ballot papers stamped by the voters in the polling station but EC played ineffective role to halt these riggings being made openly, he alleged.

He told the reporters that ARD would hold the meeting with MMA leaders on Saturday to launch countrywide movement against the government.

The meeting was attended by ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq and ARD Secretary-General Zafar Iqbal Jhagra and Vice President Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Zafar Ali Shah etc.

The MMA Parliamentary Party meeting was held in Parliament House on Friday under the leadership of MMA Deputy Parliamentary leader Liaquat Baloch.

In the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Parliamentary Party meeting, MMA decided to severely protest during NA sessions over recent rigging in LG polls and government interference.

They said MMA will sternly protest over torture of journalists in Murree, time to time increase in petroleum products, price hike of daily commodities besides recent statement issued by US Secretary of State Condolezza Rice for ending Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.

He told Radio Tehran Friday that a meeting of all opposition parties will be held on Saturday to finalize future strategy.

To a question, Baloch said it was right that two factions of MMA in NWFP were not ready to field their joint candidates in local government elections.

Therefore MMA leadership on provincial and district level decided that Jamaati-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI) will separately participate in Municipal elections, which was not positive sign for the alliance, he maintained.●