Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) on Friday announced to boycott the January 8 elections. “We have decided to boycott the Jan 8 elections because we believe that in the absence of an independent judiciary and election commission one can’t even imagine free and fair elections,” said JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq at a press conference here at Parliament House.Sami said he had taken the decision after consulting his party. He accused that Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Muslim League, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) were following the secular agenda of President Pervez Musharraf.
| He said the breakup of MMA and Nawaz SharifÂ’s U-turn on elections boycott showed that international powers were pursuing a hidden agenda in Pakistan. |
Referring to a statement of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the US would prefer organizing moderates to extremists, Sami said it clearly showed that elections were being held on US directions. Answering a question, Sami said he was ready to join any opposition alliance including the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), which was struggling for restoration of the Constitution and democracy in the country.