04 August 2004	Wednesday	17 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD Aug 3: Security agencies have advised Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to confine himself to his residence following Friday's suicide attack and it is more likely that he will not participate in election rallies for by-polls in Attock and Tharparkar constituencies.

However PML office-bearers dispelled the impression that he would not attend public rallies in constituencies from where he is contesting by-polls.

There have been instances when some high-profile politicians have won elections on one or more constituencies while being in jail but in the case of Mr Aziz, if he wins, it would be the first time for any candidate to have won election from his drawing room.

There are suggestions that he might address these election rallies on telephone close to the election day, sources said. Senator Tariq Azeem, PML's secretary information, said that Mr Aziz would address public rallies according to the schedule.

However, sources privy to the prime minister-in-waiting indicated that he might not go in person to attend these public meetings. Mr Aziz has already started receiving representatives of voters from Attock at his residence who assured him a resounding success. He is also expected to receive similar delegations from Tharparker over the next few days.

It has been decided to distribute a letter carrying a message from Mr Aziz to his voters through district nazims of the two constituencies. When asked to comment about the possibility of Mr Aziz writing such a letter, Mr Azim said that it was not an unusual practice in other countries as candidates conveyed their post- election programme, adding that it was not a new practice in Pakistan, too.

He, however, dispelled the impression that Shaukat Aziz would suspend his pre-scheduled programme of addressing election rallies in the two constituencies. He said that the Saturday's rally in Mithi (Tharparker) was missed by Mr Aziz because of Friday's suicide attack but it had gone according to schedule.

Meanwhile, PML workers were continuing their campaign for canvassing for the prime minister-in-waiting and would also distribute copies of his letter among the voters.