Fearing violence, PTI, JI want army deployed at polling stations.

KARACHI -- Hours after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the plea of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and ruled that the local government elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions will be held on Jan 15, key opposition parties on Monday demanded deployment of troops of army and Rangers fearing that the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) use government machinery on the day of polling.

They also cited the deadly violence during the first phase of the local government elections in the province when the ruling party got its over 1,000 candidates elected unopposed 'exploiting its powers'.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami held separate press conferences but made a similar demand while expressing fears of rigging by the ruling party.

PPP, other parties may resort to violence, says PTI

Senior PTI leader Ali Zaidi told a press conference that his 'reliable sources' disclosed that the ruling PPP and some other political parties could resort to violence and chaos to harass voters to keep them away from the electoral process.

MQM-P terms ECP decision to hold LG polls on old voter list, delimitation 'sheer injustice

'This all is being so that they [PPP] can rig the results, as they cannot defeat PTI in a free and fair election,' he said.

'We have already approached the ECP requesting it to declare all polling stations in Karachi and Hyderabad as sensitive so that the deployment of the army and Rangers inside and outside each polling station can be assured,' he said.

JI concerns over PPP's 'ill intentions'

JI's city chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman while referring to the results of the first phase of the local government elections in the Sukkur, Larkana, Shaheed Benazirabad...