LAHORE, Sept 28: PML-N acting president Javed Hashmi has alleged that the forthcoming general elections were an effort to divide the nation.

Mr Hashmi, who was brought to the Services Hospital for a medical check up on Saturday, told Dawn that the government had depoliticized the elections by ousting national leaders from the electoral race.

He said the elections were an attempt to regionalize the two major parties.

He said the government had completed pre-poll riggings by bifurcating the constituencies to suit its motives and by ‘victimizing’ around 400 politicians through the NAB.

It would be very difficult for the government to handle the assemblies, comprising of ‘ordinary leaders’ seeking guidance from their ‘elders’.

“Ziaul Haq’s assembly was party-less and the Musharraf’s assembly would be leader-less,” he added. He said the government must have allowed the national leaders to contest elections and promote the parliamentary system spirit.

He claimed that the future assemblies would not be able to solve national problems. This would damage the national building process.

Mr Hashmi, who is contesting from NA-123 (Lahore) and NA-148 (Multan), said that he had been behind the bars for the last 11 months and not allowed to meet his voters while his opponents have been given a free hand.

The PML-N vice-president has been facing a reference for misusing his authority as federal minister (from 1991 to 1999) to acquire movable and immovable assets, worth Rs 38 million, disproportionate to his known sources of income.