The News: Qadri says his party won’t contest polls

RAWALPINDI: Dr Tahirul Qadri announced Sunday that Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) will not contest the upcoming general elections. Addressing a gathering at Liaquat Bagh, Dr Qadri said the PAT would hold sit-ins at polling stations across the country on the election day.

He said electoral reforms promised to him were not implemented and he was not willing to become part of the current corrupt political system. He said members of the parliament should not be given development funds and they should act as Legislators.

He said that the formation of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was not according to Article 213 of the Constitution, adding that the commissionshould be impartial and reconstituted.

He said he was ready to withdraw his claim that the election commission was unconstitutional if members of the Commission take oath that their posting was in line with the constitution. The PAT Chief called for the election of the Prime Minister through popular vote instead of the National Assembly. At the same time he demanded that chief ministers and their cabinets be dissolved and powers transferred at the local level.

Dr Qadri said his campaign for revolution would continue till a real change takes place. He said the nation needed an honest and clean leadership. He claimed that he can retire all the foreign loans and build universities and hospitals in each district with the help of overseas Pakistanis without putting burden on national resources. He said he knocked at the door of justice but was denied justice and even his constitutional argument was not heard.

Source : http://images.thenews.com.pk/18-03-2013/ethenews/e-166002.htm