Opposition train march leaves Lahore

Lahore: The Train March organized by the Opposition parties highlighting the need for fresh delimitation of the constituencies and verification of electoral lists in Karachi left here for Rawalpindi Wednesday by Awam Express at the fourth and final leg of its journey.

Hundreds of workers of the JI and other parties thronged the Lahore railway station to see off the train march. They were carrying banners and posters inscribed with slogans calling for the implementation of the Supreme Court orders in regard to the fresh delimitations and correction of voters lists. The air resounded with slogans by the participants.

The train march is being organized by the Jamaat e Islami, the PML(N), Muslim League ( Functional), Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party and the JUP. Those who addressed the gathering included JI Secretary General, Liaqat Baloch, JI Sindh chief, Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui, JI Karachi chief, Muhammad Husain Mehnati, PML(N)’s Saleem Zia, JUP, s Mustiqaeem Noorani and others.

On reaching the federal capital, the leaders of the Train march would visit the Election Commission and present a memorandum in respect of their demands to the EC authorities.

In his address at the Lahore Railway station, Liaqat Baloch said that the civilized and democratic leadership of Karachi had awakened the whole nation through the train march. He said that fair and free elections were the need of the hour. He said the religious and political parties believing in democracy had courageously faced the extortion, hooliganism and target killing in Karachi.
He said that bogus mandate in Karachi had been fully exposed. The MQM was a fascist and terrorist organization which had nothing to do with human and democratic norms. However, he warned that any attempt to steal the mandate in Karachi would be dangerous.

Later, while talking to newsmen, Liaqat Baloch called for restoring the constitution in Karachi, FATA and Balochistan, and deterrent punishments to the law breakers. He said that if the military and civil bureaucracy and the government gave up the patronage of the MQM, the people of Karachi would give a humiliating defeat to the MQM through their vote. He however said that the care taker government, the Election Commission and the security forces would have to take solid measures to restore peace in Karachi and to ensure fair and free elections there.