ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) here on Sunday alleged that the government had changed the results of both the phases of local bodies elections in their favour by using state machinery and subjecting members of the opposition parties to violence and implicating them in baseless cases.
Speaking at a press conference here at the PPP Media Centre, MNA Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accused the chief ministers of Sindh and Punjab of rigging in the local bodies elections.
He said hundreds of candidates of the opposition parties and their supporters had been implicated in baseless cases by government supporters, but the Election Commission did not take any action. He said he would take up the issue on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday.
The PPP leader said on Saturday night, his brother, Raja Javed, was going to the residence of nazim-elect of Jatli union council to congratulate him on his success when a number of men from a party supported by the government attacked their vehicle and kidnapped one of his fellows.
He said when they went to the police station concerned to register an FIR against those who had attacked his brother, the government-backed party registered cross FIR against them and none of the accused were arrested.
The PPP MNA said the opposition was unable to register complaints against the highhandedness of the government-backed parties. He also warned the police and administration not to harass opposition members on the dictations of those in power as the people would cease to trust them and would have no other option but to take revenge from their perpetrators on their own.
He said the administration should protect both the government-backed parties and the opposition to maintain law and order in the country.
He said the government could not bear the opposition and wanted to eliminate it. He also accused the government of disturbing law and order situation in order to achieve pre- planned results from the local bodies elections.