NAWABSHAH, Aug 3: The People’s Party Parliamentarians has accused the Sindh government of pre-poll rigging and demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct the local body elections under the supervision of the Army. Addressing a press conference at the local press club on Wednesday, Dr Azra Pechuho, MNA and Ghulam Qadir Chandio MPA, accused the Sindh Chief Minister, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Sindh Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, and other ministers of pressurizing the PPP to boycott local body elections but they were mistaken as PPP was party of masses which was born to struggle.

They said that government was corrupting the system by announcing packages and forcing the ADP candidates to change their loyalties. The PPP leaders further said that rigging began from the highest level by General Musharraf who empowered the chief ministers to remove the nazims through an ordinance.

They said that it was necessary that local body elections be held on non-party basis to bring devolution plan at grass-root level. They further said that it was crystal clear that there was a political party behind every panel but party men should represent themselves individual capacity. They said that Sindh chief minister visited Nawabshah on Tuesday and ordered for sealing of watercourses belonging to the ADP candidates.

They further said that several government employees, who were relatives of the ADP candidates, were also suspended on the orders of the chief minister just to pressurize the ADP candidates to change their loyalties. They further said that proposers and seconders of the ADP candidates were also kidnapped and pressurized but they did not change their loyalties.

They said that Sindh chief minister was given a task to deliver results by making MQM and PML candidates successful throughout Sindh, but PPP would win LB polls with a thumbing majority.

They said that several government officers were transferred and posted during ban period which was illegal. They demanded of the CEC to take notice of the pre-poll rigging and conduct elections under army’s supervision so they may be free and fair.