Pakistani religious leader announces elections boycott

ISLAMABAD. March 18. KAZINFORM A Pakistani religious leader, Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri, announced on Sunday that his party would boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections as old faces will return to the parliament and there will be no positive change, local media reported.

Addressing several thousands of his supporters in the city of Rawalpindi, Qadri said that his Pakistan Awami Tehrik party will hold protest rallies on the day of elections in Islamabad and several other main cities.

Qadri led thousands of his supporters in a long-march to Islamabad in January for election reforms. The long-march was ended after four days of sit-in outside the parliament when the government negotiation team promised to accept his demand, Xinhua informed.

However, he criticized the outgoing government of Pakistan Peoples Party for not honoring its promises with him about election reforms.

Qadri said that the elections will be "illegal" as the election commission was not constituted in line with constitutional provisions.

He said that those people would again contest and reach the assemblies who were allegedly involved in corruption.

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