January 10, 2003	Friday	Ziqa’ad 6, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Jan 9: The Pakistan People‘s Party criticizing the government’s decision of delaying Senate polls has said that the PML-Q will use the extended period to create an artificial majority of the party in the Upper House of the parliament.

In a statement issued on Thursday the PPP acting secretary- general, Raza Rabbani, said that the postponement of the Senate polls would be followed by the same old strategy which the PML-Q adopted during the delayed National Assembly’s session. He alleged that the PML-Q resorted to state terrorism to force the MNAs to make it a majority party in the Lower House of the parliament.

He said that the Senate elections on Feb 24 and 27 meant that the Upper House would not be able to meet before March 10, 2003.

Mr Rabbani said that under Article 50 of the Constitution the parliament would remain incomplete till both the houses of the parliament are able to meet.

He said that it was unfortunate that for five months an elected assembly had been denied the right to legislate, while presidential ordinances had been issued.

The PPP leader expressed fears that on Jan 25 the final list of the contestants would announced giving a whole month to the ruling party to force other political identities to either withdraw their candidates or vote for PML-Q aspirants for the Senate seats.

“The PPP apprehends that once again the entire state apparatus and resources will be mobilized to procure votes for the PML-Q candidates and in cases where provincial lawmakers would refuse to take the bail they would be made victims of state terrorism,” he added.

Mr Rabbani said: “The PPP warns the PML-Q government to refrain from such tactics, which are destroying national institutions and weakening the political system.”