Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and ex-federal information minister Fawad Chaudhry has announced a complete boycott of upcoming general elections as he does not want to put his workers through any more problems, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

In a letter written from prison to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday, Fawad Chaudhry alleged that the Commission had failed to fulfil its duty and there was no point in contesting elections if the results have ‘already been decided’.

The former PTI leader said he was prepared to brave any dangers but did not want to put his supporters through any more trouble.

He also narrated the process of trying to contest the elections from jail, saying his nomination papers had been rejected on the basis of an undeclared plot even though no housing society existed in Jhelum. He said that the papers were later rejected for not declaring an Easy Paisa account.

سابق وفاقی وزیر @fawadchaudhry کی طرف سے الیکشن کمیشن کو لکھے گئے خط کا عکس۔ چوہدری فواد حسین اور انکے گروپ نے نام نہاد اور جعلی الیکشن کا بائیکاٹ کر دیا۔ pic.twitter.com/VbqSTHiF6B

— Faisal Hussain (@faisal_fareed) January 22, 2024

Fawad also said that his brother was arrested and later implicated in a NAB case after his nomination papers were accepted.

The former minister further wrote that any government that would be formed as a result of such elections would have no moral or legal authority whatsoever. 

“There is no point of such elections in which there is no right to choose. I was arrested to withdraw from the election, our workers were threatened and arrested, and our nomination papers were rejected without any reason,” he said and added demanding the resignation of the Election Commission is a waste of time.

He wrote “I am ready to bear all the hardships myself. It is not appropriate to cause more trouble to the voters, friends, and family. Under these circumstances, my group announces a complete boycott of the elections.”

It should be noted that Fawad Chaudhry was a candidate from National Assembly constituencies NA-60 and 61 Jhelum.

Reporter Usman Khan