September 19, 2002	Thursday	Rajab 11, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: No close relative of any senior civil servant is contesting the elections and no candidate is being supported by the government, as it is committed to hold free and fair elections, said an official spokesman.

Referring to certain allegations levelled by Tehrik-i-Insaf about the interference of high government functionaries in the election process, the spokesman said: “The elections are being held under a totally independent and fully autonomous election commission.”

Describing the allegations as baseless, the spokesman regretted that repeated allegations were being levelled by the same party against a senior civil servant, who for reasons of service discipline cannot enter into a public debate on the issue.

He also denied the allegations levelled by Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf about the involvement of a senior government officials in the election campaign.

The spokesman, in a press statement issued here on Wednesday, said “the daughter of a senior civil servant who was planning to contest the elections in Punjab voluntarily withdrew her candidature though she had all the legal rights to contest.”