Government planning to rig second phase local bodies' polls: Paracha

25 Aug, 2005

Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) senior leader Farid Paracha along with the leaders of Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has alleged that the government after losing first phase of local government elections was planning to rig the second phase.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, he alleged that recently authorities called certain government servants, given election duties, at a place in Lahore and asked them to support government-backed candidates in the second phase of the LB polls.
He vowed that the opposition would make all-out efforts to stop rigging plan of the authorities and asked the workers to be present at the polling stations on Thursday.
He said that the authority had planned to give 40 seats to the opposition in the city during the second phase of elections.
ARD leader Qari Zawar Bhadur said that no fair elections could be held under the present Election Commission. He said the entire opposition should agitate on the attitude of the Election Commission and demanded a neutral body.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Zaim Qadri, while criticising the government of massive rigging in local government elections, said victory of the opposition in the first phase had acted as a referendum against the prevailing rulers.
Another MMA leader Azhar Iqbal alleged that the government had given 300-500 ballots to its supported candidates in the second phase.
A large number of ARD and MMA workers were present on the occasion.

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