ISLAMABAD, July 27: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has expressed concern over the continued harassment and intimidation of ‘Awam Dost’ candidates in the local bodies polls and urged the chief election commissioner and the judiciary to take note of these incidents.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Ms Bhutto said several complaints of harassment and intimidation of Awam Dost candidates contesting elections in the home district of Sindh chief minister had been received.

One complainant Mir Mohammad Khan Lund of Kaloi from Diplo tehsil in Tharparkar district said police in civil clothes attacked him and the Awam Dost candidates as they were returning from Kaloi resulting in injury to several members of the party, including women.

He said candidates attacked were candidates for nazim and naib nazim positions against Arbab Abdul Khaliq, elder brother of Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim from his home UC Kaloi.

The complainant said Diplo police refused to register his complaint and instead filed an FIR against all male members of his family who had proposed and seconded these Awam Dost candidates.

The FIR No. 21/2005 has been registered against 20 people, including the complainant and all the male members of his family, the complainant said.

The former prime minister said such disgraceful incidents had exposed the claims of the regime to hold free and fair elections.

Ms Bhutto urged human rights groups and the international community to take note of these incidents and stop rulers from rigging the polls.

She also paid tributes to the courage and steadfastness of the Awam Dost candidates for standing up to the tyrannical rulers. She directed the party leaders to assist the complainant in filing FIR against the attackers and also provide him legal assistance in the false and fabricated cases registered against him.