January 09, 2008	Wednesday	Zilhaj 29, 1428

LAHORE, Jan 8: A four-member European Union Election Observer Mission called on PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif at his Raiwind residence here on Tuesday.

Mission head Michel Galle told the media after the meeting that opposition parties had provided them some evidence of the alleged rigging plan which had been forwarded to the “competent authorities”.

He said the mission would monitor election activities until the polling day (Feb 18) and release its preliminary report within 48 hours after the announcement of poll results. A detailed account would be made public two months after the Election Commission of Pakistan declared the final results, he added.

“The EU mission is neither a friend nor a foe of any political or religious forces. The purpose of its exercise is to ensure holding of free and fair elections in Pakistan for strengthening democracy and democratic institutions here.”

About the complaints regarding ghost polling stations and bogus votes, Mr Galle said it was not the job of the mission to look into such matters, though it would deeply monitor and observe the entire situation.

Mr Sharif said his party would soon make public the evidences it had so far collected regarding pre-poll rigging by the former ruling party.

He told a questioner that he had briefed the European Union mission about the rigging plan as well as his reservations over the ability of caretakers to redress the rigging complaints.He said that although the government had banned all types of transfers and postings across the country till the polling day, it was being grossly violated.

He claimed that over 100 civil servants and 64 judicial officers had been transferred only in Sindh which, he alleged, were aimed at making the rigging plan a success.

Meanwhile, Iranian Consul General Saeed Kharazi called on PML-N president Mian Shahbaz Sharif at his Defence residence.

PML-N foreign affairs coordinator Mohammad Mahdi, deputy consul general Ali Asghar and press attaché Raza Latifie were present.Mr Shahbaz told the diplomat that his party was contesting the polls under protests because it did not expect the electoral exercise would be fair and free.