KARACHI, Aug 22: Senior opposition leaders at an all-party conference on Tuesday alleged that the Election Commission was unable to perform its legal and constitutional responsibility of holding free, fair and transparent general elections in the country.

They called upon all opposition political parties and alliances to boycott the forthcoming polls, alleging that with General Pervez Musharraf remaining in the offices of Chief of Army Staff and President of Pakistan, opposition's demand of independent general elections could not be fulfilled.

The APC on “Enlistment of fake voters and pre-poll rigging” was held under the aegis of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) at its Karachi office at Idara Noor-i-Haq Karachi.

Senior MMA leader and JI Naib Amir Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, PPP leader Prof N D Khan, ARD Sindh President Zain Ansari, Rashid Rabbani, JI Karachi Amir Dr. Merajul Huda Siddiqui, PTI Sindh President Zubair Khan, Amin Khattak of ANP, Maulana Umer Sadiq of JUI, MMA MNAs, MPAs and other leaders spoke.

Two resolutions condemning the enlistment of fake voters and other pre-poll rigging practices and police batoncharge and teargas shelling on teachers rally in the morning were also adopted unanimously by the participants of the ACP.

Prof Ghafoor said that the forthcoming general elections were the first in the history of Pakistan when government had started pre-poll rigging well before holding of general elections, alleging that preparations of voters lists was the responsibility of election commission but these lists were being prepared by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

Pakistan People’s Party Karachi President Rashid Rabbani said enlistment of fake voters in Karachi and rest of Sindh, pre-poll rigging and other measures were proofs that government wanted desired results in next general polls.

He alleged that goths, villages and several localities were ignored during the voters registration and added fake entries into voters lists was an open violation of legal and moral norms and values.

JI Karachi Amir Dr Merajul Huda Siddiqui said localities considered as opponents of Muttahida Qaumi Movement were being ignored in voters enlistment.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President Zubair Khan said that the nation was aware of government's intentions and opposition's struggle for holding of free, fair and transparent general elections.

ARD Sindh President Zain Ansari said consensus among opposition parties and alliances was growing to boycott next general elections if they are held with President Pervez Musharraf in his both the offices.

ANP leader Amin Khattak said nobody visited his residence for enlistment of his name in the voters' list and questioned if only a party's voters had the right to cast votes in elections, what was the use of holding elections.

He said many so-called popular people had realized their worth and popularity during recent local bodies' polls and in order to remain sticking to power, they had initiated pre-poll rigging to win forthcoming general polls.

Several other leaders, including Shahid Ghauri of Sunni Tehreek, Syed Kauser Hussain Zaidi, Maulana Umer Sadiq, Mohammad Shafique Butt, Basharat Mirza of PDP, Usman Baloch, Khan Mohammad Baloch and others also addressed.—PPI