KARACHI, Aug 4: The secretary-general of the National Party, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, accused the Balochistan government of resorting to pre-poll rigging in the forthcoming local body elections.

In this regard, the NP leader particularly referred to the incidents of kidnapping of opposition parties’ candidates and rejection of nominations and hurling of threats in three districts—Kech (Turbat), Punjgur and Gwadar.

At a press conference held here at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday, he alleged that two provincial ministers had kidnapped ANP candidates at gunpoint to prevent them from filing nominations.

In this way Mir Bizenjo said the nominations of 28 party candidates were rejected because they could not reach the offices of the district returning and assistant district officers on the scrutiny day in UCs Gomazi, Nodaz, Khudan, Bilnegur, Sheruk, Kunchati and Hoshab.

Urging the election commissioner to postpone the polls in these UCs and suspend the DROs and ADROs who were “involved in the conspiracy,” the NP leader also demanded that a judicial inquiry be made into the official conduct of these officials.

Mir Hasil who was flanked by Mekran-based party leaders Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and Shakil Baloch, also criticized the government for its dictatorial policies.

He said the credentials of rulers’ of being democratic had been exposed as the local body polls were being held in a planned way.

In reply to a question, the NP leader told newsmen that the political parties in the province had not entered into a formal alliance. However, his party had reached an understanding with the Jamhoori Watan Party that they would not put up against each other.

Similarly, Dr Malik said the party would not contest against the candidates of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) in the Mekran region.