Pak Army wants to install a puppet government: Nadeem Nusrat

Mohajir activist and the Voice of Karachi chairman, Nadeem Nusrat said the various Army Generals in Pakistan are trying to install a "weak" and "puppet government" ahead of the general elections in the country.

In a statement issued from Washington D.C, Nusrat has urged the international community to scrutinize election process in Pakistan where Pakistani military establishment is actively busy in pre-poll rigging.

He believes Pakistani Generals seem to have clearly marked out their favourite political parties and groups who are being offered full official support, whereas others are being "disqualified" in a systematic manner.

"It is evident that Pakistani Army Generals want to use the upcoming election to install in Pakistan a weak, puppet government that would be a rubber stamp for Pakistani military establishment, ISI in particular, which will further aggravate Pakistan's problems and people of Pakistan will suffer even more," Nushrat said.

Further citing examples of recent political developments in Pakistan, Nushrat explained: "The situation has gone to a point where the former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was forced to publicly express his disgust as to how his party candidates are being stopped by intelligence agencies from contesting the election. The former interior minister of Pakistan Nisar Ali Khan, who is considered very close to Pakistan's Inter-Services Agency (ISI), is contesting the election as an independent candidate under the election symbol of 'Jeep'.

He added: "Now more and more candidates belonging to Sharif's party Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) are being forced to return the party ticket and contest under the symbol of Jeep. It is evident that besides supporting Imran Khan's PTI party, Pakistani intelligence agencies are systematically working to put together pro-establishment group under one election symbol."

Nushrat concluded his statement by asking the international community to" play an active role and ensure that each candidate and political party is afforded equal treatment and a fair and free political environment".

"An unfair, sham election will plunge Pakistan into further chaos and instability," Nusrat said.

Pakistan is slated to hold general elections on July 25.