December 05, 2007	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 24, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Dec 4: Opposition Leader in the Senate Raza Rabbani has condemned the government for extending the detention of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan.

In a statement here on Tuesday, Mr Rabbani said it was the duty of the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that a validly nominated candidate for the forthcoming elections was not prevented from having access to his voters and carrying out an election campaign.

Senator Rabbani said the grounds on which the detention of Mr Ahsan had been extended for another 30 days were vague and hypothetical.

He said there were a number of judgments of the superior courts which had struck down such detention orders and asked the EC to take action against the Punjab government in light of these judgments.

The PPP leader said it was also unfortunate that the EC failed to take notice of the massive transfers and postings of judicial officers by the previous regime and the present caretaker government, saying these transfers and postings formed the basis of the ‘master plan’ by the regime to rig the polls.