WASHINGTON, Jan 21: PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has urged the United States to warn the Musharraf government that irregularities in the forthcoming elections will have ‘negative consequences’.

In a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, which will be delivered to her on Tuesday, Mr Zardari also sought US support for his demand for a UN-led probe into the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

“While the party welcomes the involvement of Scotland Yard in the current investigation, it strongly believes that the horrific nature of this incident warrants the full attention — and involvement by — the world community,” he wrote.

Only such an involvement, he said, can ensure that “the perpetrators of this heinous crime, as well as those who might have tried to cover it up,” are brought to justice.

Mr Zardari also expressed PPP’s concern that without the strong and undivided attention of the international community, particularly the US government — “the now postponed elections will not be transparent, free or fair and will only be used to validate a regime that has lost all legitimacy”.

He also questioned the US government’s trust in the Musharraf government to win the war against terrorism. “I ask you how effective a regime can be as an ally in the war against terrorism if, after an act of terrorist violence, people feel angrier about their government than they do about the terrorists?”

Mr Zardari said his party would welcome clear and decisive statements by the US administration and the US Congress, putting the government of Pakistan on notice that nothing less than a completely clean election process would be acceptable.

“In fact, the PPP is hopeful that a message will be conveyed to Pakistan’s leadership that there will be negative consequences should there be any evidence (that) the voting and vote tabulation processes were compromised in any way.”

Mr Zardari also urged the US administration to send a strong message to the government of Pakistan that all remaining restrictions on journalists, political parties, lawyers and opposition party activists be removed immediately if these entities were to participate fully in the electoral process.

Those opposition party members, judges and lawyers still in jail on trumped-up charges, must be released immediately, he added.

Mr Zardari also demanded that ‘partisan’ caretaker governments at the federal and provincial levels be replaced with neutral administrations acceptable to all major political parties.

The Election Commission, which has no representation from two of Pakistan’s four provinces, should be reconstituted as well, he said.

Mr Zardari demanded that the district administrations, currently headed by nazims belonging only to the PML(Q), should be suspended for the duration of the election campaign so that they do not use government resources for party political purposes.

Mr Zardari urged Ms Rice to use her influence to ensure that action is taken on all the points he raised in his letter.