KARACHI, Jan 31: Leader of Opposition in the Senate Raza Rabbani has said that after getting the support of religious and political parties and various communities, Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) candidate Nafees Ahmed Siddiqui has an edge over his opponent in the by-election on the National Assembly seat NA-250.

He said this while speaking at a press conference here in the chamber of the leader of opposition in the Sindh assembly, where an independent candidate, Ghulam Mohiuddin Awan, announced his withdrawal in favour of the ARD candidate.

Mr Rabbani said that if the byelection was held in a transparent and free manner, the ARD candidate would easily defeat his opponents.

He said the byelection was a test case for the election commission as well as the government, and maintained that if the regime tried to rig the bypoll, holding of fair general election would become doubtful.

He, however, declared that the ARD would offer stiff resistance to any such plan and would not leave the field open to the ruling coalition.

The ARD candidate, Mr Siddiqui, said on the occasion that the byelection would be a one-to-one contest between the opposition and the ruling coalition.

The independent candidate, Mr Awan, said that his community would vote for the ARD candidate in the February 10 byelection. On the occasion, leaders of the Punjabi Qaumi Tehreek (PQT), All Pakistan Minority Alliance leader Salim Khokhar, the Arain community, the Hazara Rabta Council and Tanzeem-ul-Awan leaders announced their support for the ARD candidate in the by-election.