The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and its allies in the government are accused of utilising state resources to help their candidates win in the upcoming local body polls. Secretary General of the Punjab Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) Punjab Agha Riazul Islam told a press conference here on Wednesday.
"State resources are being openly spent in the pre-planned legal battle under which the government hass started declaring opposition candidates disqualified for the LB polls."
Agha Riaz, who was flanked by the ARD leaders, including Abdul Salam Butt, Javed Saigol, Rashid Mir and Sultan Mehmood Qazi, demanded of the Election Commission to re-schedule the election in these four constituencies as it did in Sindh.
"It will restore the shaken confidence of the people on electoral process and help strengthen the democracy in the country", he added. Riaz said that since the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Q) had clearly seen that it would taste worst defeat in the upcoming LB polls, it, therefore, started making negative tricks to get their candidates win in the elections.
He said that disqualification of opposition candidates through courts was one of the negative tricks of pre-poll rigging by the government. He said that four opposition candidates, capable to win elections with a huge margin, were disqualified. These potential candidates included Ahmed Khan from UC-38, Sheikh Ijaz from UC-3, Bakhtiar Mir from UC-11 and Rahela Saleem from UC-16.
"We respect judiciary and this is the reason that we have not raised hue and cry. I am sure that this process, if not stopped, would result in non-confidence of masses in election and constitutional process", Agha Riaz said, adding that PML (Q) people are damaging not only Pakistan but the institutions like judiciary, parliament and Pakistan army. He said they were hoodwinking President Pervez Musharraf and causing undaunted damages to his person as well.
Responding to a question, he said that the non-confidence of people would benefit anti-nation elements and would cost huge loss to Pakistan and democratic forces in the country.
Agha said that rigging was part of the election process in 2001 local body polls, which shattered the confidence of people on system.