Pir Pagara predicts ‘emergency, martial law'

• "Election results had been sold 3 months before elections".
• GDA protests not targeting military, but poll irregularities: Pagara.
• Pagara-led alliance announced agitation drive against "poll rigging".

In a sweeping statement, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) chief Pir Pagara has said that he believes an “emergency or martial law” can be imposed in the country, while the judiciary will grant it legal cover as his party protests against the "rigged" February 8 general elections.

Several political parties have taken to the streets after the unofficial election results poured in following the February 8 nationwide polls, whereas, major political parties that won the highest number of seats commenced efforts to search for allies and forge alliances to form the next governments in the Centre and provinces.

A few days ago, the Pagara-led GDA announced launching an agitation drive against the alleged election rigging that led to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) victory in Sindh and also decided that its two MPAs-elect will not join the new provincial assembly.

“Army has tested everyone now [...] no one can take control of federation except military,” claimed Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, also known as Pir Pagara, while addressing a massive protest in Sindh’s Jamshoro city against alleged election rigging.

Expressing serious reservations over the 2024 election outcomes, Rashdi alleged: “The results had been sold and payments were disbursed almost three months before the conduct of the nationwide polls.”

He said that his allies had suggested electioneering but he refused them to spend a massive sum of money on public meetings. “I stay away from politics as it demands lies. An individual is considered to be a 'great leader' who has the quality to spread lies every time.”

The recent polls have proved that there was no national-level leader present in the country, said the alliance’s chief.

The spiritual leader of Hurs clarified that they were staging protests against alleged poll rigging but not against any national institutions including the armed forces. He added that the entire country was well protected and living in peace due to the security forces.

Pagara said that he also rejected the suggestion of boycotting the general elections as it would not be fruitful to let people see things in black-and-white.

He signalled that it would be difficult for any party to rule the country in the absence of a "national-level leader". Pagara predicted that ‘emergency or martial law’ could be imposed in the country in case of any uncertain situation and the judiciary would grant it a legal cover.