Benazir makes candidates swear on Quran

[BATMAN]

Benazir makes candidates swear on Quran
Pakistan News Service - PakTribune

The PPP sources said Benazir Bhutto made her party candidates swear on the holy Quran during the closed-door meeting that after their elections they would not indulge in horse-trading and would give due respect and importance to party workers and refrain from exploiting them. Those who swore by the Quran include the two National Assembly candidates from Nowshera, Tariq Khattak and Mian Muzaffar Shah, and five provincial assembly candidates Syed Iftikhar Ali Shah, Farooq Khan advocate, Liaquat Shabab, Mian Akmal Shah advocate, and Qurban Ali Khan. The four PPP candidates for the National Assembly from Peshawar district Syed Ayub Shah, Arbab Dr Alamgir Khan, Noor Alam Khan and Azam Afridi, and the eleven party contestants for NWFP Assembly seats from Peshawar, were also administered this oath.

It was learnt that a day earlier, the PPP candidates from Mardan were given a similar oath in a closed session. It seems this is now a standard policy to bound party candidates so that they don’t switch loyalties and fall prey to horse-trading. The suspicion about some former PPP MPAs in the NWFP that they sold their votes in Senate elections was stated to be one of the reasons for making the candidates swear on the Quran that they would not indulge in horse-trading.

Subsequently at the workers’ meeting in Pabbi, Benazir Bhutto publicly called the party candidates from Peshawar and Nowshera districts on stage and asked them to once again take oath that they would not do horse-trading and give due respect to PPP workers. Unlike the closed-door meeting earlier, this time the candidates were not asked to swear by the Quran. Apparently, the public oath was done in front of party workers to ensure that the candidates after elections would be under moral and political pressure not to change their loyalties. Benazir Bhutto also granted separate audience to party leaders Syed Zahir Shah, Azam Afridi, Nowshera district nazim Daud Khattak, and Tahir Abbas, brother of late party leader Syed Qamar Abbas.

 

[blain2]

Like swearing on Quran has ever made a difference to these vultures...

 

[HAIDER]

How about some swears on Quran about returning national wealth...to Bibi.
May be some mullah idea or Bibi wants to control the men oriented society by using religion. May be..

 

[BATMAN]

Marvels of BB continues:
BB demands amnesty for Baloch leaders
* Withdraws nomination papers from NA-204
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

KARACHI: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Thursday demanded that the government announce general amnesty in Balochistan and release all political prisoners in the province, NNI reported.

“My party [Pakistan People’s Party] is concerned about the detention of leaders in [Balochistan],” Benazir told a news conference in Karachi.

She said the armed forces had been “over-engaged” in parts of the country. “The armed forces were over-engaged. They have been made controversial.”

She alleged that a plan had been prepared to rig the elections, adding that government resources were being used to help her rival candidates.

Withdraws: Also, Benazir has withdrawn her nomination papers from NA-204, Larkana, and will now contest the general elections from only NA-207, according to staff report. nni/staff report

 

[blain2]

Marvels of BB continues:
BB demands amnesty for Baloch leaders
* Withdraws nomination papers from NA-204
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

Actually this is not a bad thing. I think Musharraf govt itself wants to give amnesty with some assurances. If BB can get these Baloch leaders to agree to the terms of the Federation then its fine. Baloch people have suffered far too long due to this ping pong. I say lets give them a chance to develop and take advantage of the economic boom inshallah.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Blain,

Do you know who these leaders are? Sardars, militant groups, or nationalist parties?

If the first and second, I would only support such amnesty conditional to disarmament and renouncement of Sardari System (and It seems like the two are tied together anyway - i.e. a lot of Sardars have become militants and/or support them). The last, I would support unconditionally, and barring a few strategic projects, Gwadar, IPI pipeline etc, agree to most of their "autonomy" demands.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

The drama is unfolding it appears.

All political parties seem to edgy and unsure what is to be the line of action.

Stabs in the dark to see which idea will gel!

 

[Awesome]

The drama is unfolding it appears.

All political parties seem to edgy and unsure what is to be the line of action.

Stabs in the dark to see which idea will gel!

Exactly.

They will float radical concepts, maybe one of them would get a bite and become a run of the mill campaigning point.