A senior leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) believes that it is not possible to have free and fair elections in Pakistan under the threat of terrorism.
MQM leader Farooq Sattar told reporters in Karachi that the surge in terrorist activities in Karachi and Quetta in the last 48 hours indicated the forthcoming elections could not be fair and transparent.
"The fact is that by allowing these terrorist activities our government institutions are not fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities towards having fair and free elections," Sattar said.
"It means that by default or design these terrorist strikes are leading towards unfair and non-transparent elections."
He pointed out that in Punjab province campaigning was in full swing and a election climate was building up but this was not the case in Pakistan's biggest city or the provincial capital of Baluchistan province.
"It appears as if few parties including the MQM are being pushed aside and barred from carrying out their election campaign.
Sattar who has regularly been elected on MQM tickets to the national assembly said the party was now receiving open threats from terrorists.
"Our election offices and workers are being attacked without fear. Even our leaders are not being spared. It leaves us in no position to hold big rallies like the other parties are doing," he said.
The MQM which is the single largest party in Karachi and also has influence in some other urban cities and towns of Sindh province observed a day of mourning in the province on today after its election camp office was bombed at Peoples Chowrangi in North Nazimabad in which three workers were killed and around 18 injured.
