Parties vow to compete in election despite wave of militant attacks

(29 Apr 2013) Karachi - 29 April 2013 ++16:9++ 1. Wide of news conference with representatives of all three major political parties including Pakistan People's Party - PPP, Muttahida Quami Movement -MQM and Awami National Party - ANP 2. Mid of leaders seated at podium 3. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Haider Abbas Rizvi, Central MQM leader: "All the three parties, their top leadership and supporters and workers have jointly decided that we will not be intimidated by the acts of terrorism and bomb blasts. And we will confront and fight this terrorism bravely." RECENT: Kohat - 28 April 2013 ++4:3++ 4. Police collecting evidences from scene at election office of independent candidate for national assembly, Syed Noor Akbar (blast that killed at least six) 5. Close of damaged van ++VIDEO BREAK-UP DURING SHOT++ 6. Wide of damaged election office, white sheets hanging to hide scene from public 7. Wide of medical staff wheeling wounded man along corridor in hospital 8. Wounded in hospital ward RECENT: Karachi - 27 April 2013 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ ++16:9++ 9. Wide of blast site at Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) election office in western Karachi district (one of three powerful blasts in the city on Saturday night that killed at least four) 10. Tilt down showing damage 11. Wide of damaged wall 12. Close of people looking at damage 13. MQM election office, pan of electoral details Karachi - 29 April 2013 ++16:9++ 14. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Bashir Jan, Senior ANP leader and candidate for National Assembly: "We will participate in the elections at all costs. We believe that only elections are the solution to the problems of Pakistan. As far as the question of free and fair elections is concerned, you can see for yourself, the Election Commission cannot implement its own rules and laws." 15. Various of journalists 16. Wide of leaders leaving STORYLINE: The three mainstream political parties in Pakistan on Monday vowed they would not be intimidated by violence, as the Pakistani Taliban steps up their campaign to disrupt next month's elections. The Taliban has previously announced a strategy to target the three parties, including the Awami National Party (ANP), the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP). "We will not be intimidated by the acts of terrorism and bomb blasts. And we will confront and fight this terrorism bravely," said Haider Abbas Rizvi, a Central MQM leader, at a news conference in Karachi. Such attacks have killed at least 28 people in just last four days. The Taliban have specifically targeted more secular political parties that have supported military offensives against the militants in the northwest. The Taliban have largely spared Islamic parties and others who believe the government should strike a peace deal with the militants, rather than fight them. All three parties speaking at the news conference on Monday are perceived as liberal, having earned the Taliban's ire by opposing the insurgency and extremism during their time in the outgoing government. The onslaught has forced many of the parties to change their campaign strategy and has raised questions about whether the vote can be considered valid if some mainstream parties can't properly take part. But on Monday, the parties said they would not be bullied. "We will participate in the elections at all costs," said Bashir Jan, a senior ANP leader and candidate for the National Assembly. "We believe that only elections are the solution to the problems of Pakistan." The elections are scheduled to be held on May 11. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...