August 07, 2006	Monday	Rajab 11, 1427

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

LAHORE, Aug 6: The government has started documenting alleged cases of corruption of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, apparently to keep primarily them out of the election process, official sources said here on Sunday.

The job, the sources said, would be completed soon and a whitepaper would be brought out before initiating a legal process.

The sources, who requested not to be named, claimed that alleged corruption of other top opposition leaders were also likely to be included in the whitepaper.

And Federal Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani also indicated that a plan was under way to launch another accountability campaign.

Speaking at a press conference here on Sunday, Mr Durrani said: “There are many surprises in store for the opposition as the government is going to show zero tolerance for corruption and the corrupt.”

The government would ensure that the money earned through corruption and the people indulging in corrupt practices had minimum openings in the polls, he said.

However, he added that the accountability would be across the board and the corrupt, even if they were in the ranks of the government, would not be spared.

The courts had been made bold enough to even revert decisions of the government, he said, in a clear reference to the Pakistan Steel Mills Privatisation case.

He said the next polls would be the most fair and transparent in the history of the country and even the losing candidates would acknowledge this fact, instead of levelling rigging charges.

The ballot boxes would be transparent, as would be the balloting process and the government would take all measures that the Election Commission would seek for discharging its duty in the fairest manner, he added.

The minister said the government was ready to accommodate all demands of the opposition regarding the procedure for holding polls if these were within the bounds of the Constitution.