ISLAMABAD, July 18: Pakistan Muslim League-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq Tuesday said that the ouster of the present rulers and formation of a neutral caretaker setup was a must to ensure free and fair general elections.

Speaking at a meeting of the committees responsible for making arrangements for the August 2 general council session of the party to elect new office-bearers here, he said the party believed that free and fair elections were impossible under Gen Musharraf.

Mr Haq said that rigging in the recently held elections on refugees seats in Azad Kashmir had once again proved that the government would not hold free and fair polls in Pakistan.

He said a federal minister had said that former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif could not take part in the elections despite the fact that the chief election commissioner (CEC) had already stated that there was no bar on them in this regard.

He asked the chief election commissioner to take action against the minister. The PML-N chairman said that hatred was increasing among the provinces that had put national integrity at stake.