HYDERABAD, Aug 7: The former federal minister and PPP leader Zafar Ali Leghari has said that Federal Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi has unleashed a reign of terror and the PPP-backed candidates are being harassed by the police.

Mr Leghari called upon Gen Pervez Musharraf to seize the powers of the federal minister till the local body elections were over.

He was speaking at a news conference at the press club on Sunday.

He said the local body system introduced by the president was a perfect system but Mr Liaquat Jatoi was trying to sabotage it by misusing his powers.

He said the misdeeds of the federal minister would bring discredit to Gen Musharraf.

While accusing the federal minister of facing 36 NAB cases, he said Liaquat Jatoi was using the DCO, the DPO and the entire district machinery to manipulate the elections.

The former federal minister said the code of conduct formulated by the chief election commissioner was being openly violated by Mr Jatoi.

Under these circumstances, he said, fair and impartial elections could not be held in Dadu.

Meanwhile, the deputy opposition leader in the National Assembly, Syed Naveed Qamar, has said that despite pre-poll rigging, the PPP will not boycott the local body elections and will resist the excesses of the state machinery.

Speaking at the Tando Mohammad Khan district convention of party workers and later talking to newsmen on Sunday, he said the Sindh chief minister wanted to achieve 100 per cent results in his favour in the LB elections through ruthless use of the state machinery.

He said that the chief minister had made his mission to compel the Awam Dost candidates to change their loyalties. He said a similar scenario was being witnessed in Punjab.

While speaking to reporters, Naveed Qamar called upon the chief election commissioner to personally intervene to ensure transparent elections.

Amin Lakho, Mohsin Shah and MPA Abdul Qadir Soomro spoke on the occasion.