August 17, 2002	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Saani 7, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 16: The Pakistan People’s Party has lodged a complaint with the election commission against alleged pre-poll rigging and a smear campaign against its leader on the state-owned electronic media.

Through a letter, PPP acting secretary-general Raza Rabbani told the chief election commissioner (CEC) that the government was resorting to systematic pre-poll rigging and an adverse propaganda campaign on the electronic media despite his (CEC’s) clear directives that no such campaign would be launched against any political party.

“The party has on a number of occasions pointed out to the election commission the use of the civil administration and the offices of the governors to further the political agenda of the regime in the said elections,” he said.

Although the commission had taken note of the same, the regime continuously flouted those directives, he said.

Enlisting the incidents of the alleged propaganda campaign against the PPP on the electronic media, Mr Rabbani wrote: “On August 11, 2002, a television show was telecast wherein a serving Maj. Gen namely Rashid Qureshi, who is in the service of Pakistan, made political comments, levelled false and fabricated charges, distorted facts and circumstances and maligned the chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party with mala fide intent and purpose. The false imputation made by Maj. Gen. Rashid Qureshi amounts to influence the ongoing electoral process.”

Mr Rabbani demanded of the CEC to take 0appropriate notice of the “violations” of the elections commissioner’s directives by the regime.