QUETTA, August 1: The former Pakistan Peoples Party federal minister, Mir Baz Khan Khetran, has alleged that the government was interfering in the local body election’s process to get the ruling party’s candidates elected in different areas of Balochistan, including Barkhan.

In a statement issued here on Monday, he alleged that the local administration of Barkhan was playing a partisan role and facilitating official candidates. The administration, he charged, was using different tactics for pressurizing other candidates to leave the field open for the ruling party.

He said the law and order situation in the province was poor. Some influential tribal elders with the support of local administration and law enforcement agencies were creating harassment in the area.

He said the situation could result in some ugly incident.

Mr Khetran, who is a member of Pakistan Peoples Party central committee, said that while on the one hand the government had announced party-less local body elections, it was using all official resources for the success of ruling party candidates, on the other.

The Pakistan Peoples Party leader appealed to the Chief Election Commissioner, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, to take notice of the Balochistan government’s interference in the non-party local government elections and restrict it from using official resources in favour of the PML-backed candidates. “The Election Commission should fulfil its commitment for ensuring free, fair and transparent local body elections in Balochistan,” Mr Khetran said.