DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Feb 12: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rehman has accused the government of promoting horse-trading in the upcoming Senate elections.

Talking to journalists on Sunday, he suggested that the Election Commission should conduct Senate poll through show of hands, and not by secret ballot.

“For free and fair elections it is necessary to conduct the process through show of hand,” the opposition leader said.

The chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam alleged that state agencies were corrupting political culture and politicians were blackmailed through the National Accountability Bureau.

He said the Pakistan Muslim League had only 10 seats in the NWFP assembly, but it had fielded four candidates for the Senate elections.

When asked about President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s’ statement that foreigners were also killed in the US air attack on Damadola, he said the president had put the country’s security at stake. Gen Musharraf, he added, was protecting the interests of the United States and its allies.

Condemning the publication of sacrilegious cartoons, Maulana Fazl said that opposition parties would hold a protest demonstration in Islamabad on Feb 19 and a countrywide strike would be observed on March 3.