February 16, 2008	Saturday	Safar 08, 1429

KARACHI, Feb 15: The Pakistan People’s Party on Friday expressed shock over the latest report of the Human Rights Watch saying that Attorney-General Malik Abdul Qayyum was aware of a plan for poll rigging, as evident from a taped telephone conversation.

Describing it as a “profoundly shocking disclosure”, the party’s information secretary Sherry Rehman said that Mr Qayyum’s conversation was actually an official document of proof of rigging.

”Qayyum was clearly privy to the regime’s plans of poll rigging. He therefore sounded very confident that both the PPP and the PML-N will be ‘in trouble’ if they decided to contest polls. This also shows that the rigging was under way much before elections were scheduled. Our lawyers are also looking into other implications behind this conversation, which may even have links to Shaheed’s security.”

Ms Rehman said that the tape was a serious issue as the confirmation of rigging emanated from a source as authoritative as the Attorney-General of Pakistan.

Demanding that Mr Qayyum should provide further details of the rigging plan, she said that it was his constitutional obligation, both as the AG of Pakistan and as a citizen of the country, to share this crucial information.

She also demanded Mr Qayyum’s resignation.—Reporter