KARACHI, Jan 23: PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who led the opposition benches in the last Sindh Assembly, has expressed his party’s serious reservations over the caretaker government’s intention to hire civilians for helping police in the maintenance of law and order during the forthcoming general elections.

“It is a horrific conspiracy to induct commissars of the ruling party for manipulating the election results,” he said on Wednesday with reference to a statement of the IG Sindh that several hundred civilians would be inducted on a temporary basis for maintaining law and order during elections.

“This speaks volumes about the inefficiency and mala fide intentions of the law-enforcement agencies,” he remarked.

Mr Khuhro said that if the agencies lacked the required strength in terms of manpower, they could seek assistance of Rangers or army. “This is a ploy to give official protection to the activists of the previous coalition parties for manipulating the election results,” he apprehended.

He alleged that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-led City District Government Karachi had provided similar official protection to the party’s activists on the pretext of traffic management. The same exercise was being planned to be carried out in the interior of Sindh, he added.

“This would not be tolerated,” Mr Khuhro warned, and asked police and other law-enforcement agencies not to be part of the exercise that goes against the masses’ aspirations.

Citing what he termed “pre-poll rigging and manipulation”, the PPP leader strongly condemned the posting of a head-constable as SHO of Mithi police station. The officer, he claimed, was the main trainer of the private militia being operated by former chief minister Dr Arbab Rahim.

He also alleged that Jutio Sahed, the head-constable, was brought in as SHO by the Inspector-turned-DPO of the area.