ISLAMABAD, June 19: The combined opposition in the Senate alleged on Tuesday that the government had taken its first step towards rigging the general elections by passing the Nadra (amendment) Bill 2007.

Leader of Opposition Mian Raza Rabbani, MMA’s Prof Khurshid Ahmed, and Poman’s Abdur Rahim Mandokhel said at a news conference that over 20 million voters belonging to the opposition were missing from the Nadra’s electoral lists. They alleged that the unilateral passage of the Nadra bill would adversely affect the opposition’s prospects in the general elections.

They said the opposition lawmakers were not allowed to move amendments to the bill and claimed that in its present form the law would give discretionary powers to the government to enhance the tenure of any Nadra official, including the chairman, as and when required. By using the Nadra bill, the government would deprive the opposition voters their right to cast vote, he said.

The government has already included 35 amendments to the finance bill of which 15 had nothing to do with the bill, he said. He alleged that through these amendments the regime would only serve the interests of multinational companies and the elite classes at the cost of the common man. Mr Rabbani warned that if the way the house was being run was not changed, then the combined opposition might consider boycotting the House Business Advisory Committee.