28 September 2004	Tuesday	12 Shaban 1425

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: PPP Deputy Secretary General Mian Raza Rabbani has contested Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retired) Irshad Hassan Khan's denial that he declined to meet the PPP leaders who wanted to bring to his attention the government's plan to rig the forthcoming by-elections in NA-229 (Tharparkar-I).

The CEC has also stated that contrary to the understanding, the PPP did not send the complaint in writing by fax on September 21. For the sake of record, Mr Rabbani said, the PPP addressed 53 letters to the CEC on the alleged rigging of last by-polls in Tharparkar on August 18. Through these 53 letters the attention of the Chief Election Commissioner was drawn towards numerous irregularities and incidents of highhandedness, he added.

The PPP leader said some of the gross irregularities and violations of the law included changing 17 polling stations without prior notice, the creation of 16 new polling stations affecting over 13,000 votes, the deliberate omission of over 11,000 votes of the PPP from the electoral lists and the detention of PPP parliamentarians and impounding of their vehicles to prevent them from campaigning for the party candidate.

Subsequently, the party also issued a detailed white paper on the August 18 by-elections in Tharparkar, which was widely reported in the media. Unfortunately, the CEC chose to ignore all the letters and the white paper let alone taking any action on these, he added.

Mr Rabbani said it was with this background that the PPP delegation wanted to call on the CEC to apprise him of its deep concerns. The CEC has now invited the PPP delegation for a meeting on September 28. However, the notice being too short the party delegation would not be able to meet the CEC on Tuesday, the PPP leader said.