October 5, 2002	Saturday	Rajab 27, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: People’s Party Parliamentarian on Friday asked the Election Commission not to send election material to polling stations in loose bags.

“We have learnt that delivery of election material in loose bags could provide an opportunity to the pro-government candidates to poll 8,000 to 10,000 votes,” acting secretary-general of PPP, Raza Rabbani, said at a press conference.

In a letter addressed to the chief election commissioner, he demanded that all the election material should be delivered to the polling stations in sealed bags, which should be opened before the polling agents.

The PPP had serious reservations that the bags, in which books of ballot-papers would also be carried, could be opened during transportation and 10 to 12 ballot-papers could be removed from each book, he said.

Those ballot-papers could easily be polled later and a margin of 8,000 to 10,000 votes could be given to the candidates of pro-government parties in each constituency, he said.

The PPP leader directed his party’s election agents to examine the booklets before polling.

Rabbani complained that he had written numerous letters to the Election Commission but barring two all remained unheeded.

He said the PPP had informed the CEC that in NA-228, Mirpurkhas, officials of local government and SHO had been transferred. In NA-216, he said, police deputy superintendent had been transferred and a sub-inspector had been given the charge of DSP.