September 23, 2002	Monday	Rajab 15, 1423

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NAWABSHAH, Sept 22: Some party contestants, while briefing the Commonwealth’s election observers group, accused the district Nazim and the Sindh education minister of supporting their rival candidates .

The two-member advance observer group of the Commonwealth, comprising Kokhtar Ahmed and Russel Kuruppu, arrived here on Sunday.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s candidate from PS-24 (Nawabshah-I), Rao Abdul Sami, accused the district Nazim, Faryal Talpur, of abusing the district government office. He also accused her of favouring the PPP candidates and running their campaign.

He accused the district Nazim of virtually running the election campaign of her sister, Dr Azra Pechuho, and other People’s Party Parliamentarian candidates.

He told the delegation that the district Nazim had transferred several of the city’s SHOs by influencing the DPO.

He also expressed his resentment over alleged removal of the Muttahida’s flags while the PPP flags were let to flutter atop various buildings.

The PPP candidates for NA-213 and PS-25 — Dr Azra Pechuho and Ali Mohammad Jalbani — accused the Sindh Education Minister Khan Mohammad Dahri of running the election campaigns of his two cousins.

They said that the education minister had transferred 45 teachers from various parts of the district. They said that teachers would play an important role in the election and would be deputed at the polling stations.

They accused Dahri of relocating polling stations to areas without motorable roads and other necessary facilities. She said that complaints had been sent to the chief election commissioner.

Syed Amjad Shah of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) played down the accusations levelled by the PPP candidates, saying that they were blaming the education minister for supporting their rivals out of fear of losing the polls.

He said that Dahri was performing his duty as an education minister and was in no way supporting any candidate’s election campaign.

Later, talking to Dawn, the Commonwealth representative, Ahmed said that the group was established by the Commonwealth secretary-general to observe relevant aspects of the elections.