KARACHI, Jan 28: The leader of the Opposition in the Senate and deputy secretary-general of the Pakistan People’s Party, Mian Raza Rabbani, on Monday accused the government of harassing PPP workers by arresting them so as to keep them away from effectively taking part in the upcoming general elections.

He was speaking at a press conference along with PPP Sindh Secretary-General Nafees Siddiqui and a PPP candidate from Jacobabad for NA-208, Ejaz Jakhrani.

He urged the chief election commissioner to take suo motu notice of the political victimization of the PPP workers in Sindh and Punjab and to take notice of the caretaker government’s involvement in the recruitment process in the education, health and police departments of both the provinces.

The PPP leader pointed out that a large number of open FIRs had been lodged against the PPP workers in Sindh. He said that the chief election commissioner must declare all such FIRs void until the Feb 18 elections.

Despite tall claims made by the CEC and the caretaker setup regarding action on the complaints of the PPP workers, none of the complaints had been entertained by the chief election commissioner, Mr Rabbani deplored.

He charged that in Punjab recruitment was being made in the police department and in Sindh similar actions were being taken in the health and education departments.

These actions were taken to use these newly-inducted employees to rig the upcoming polls, he said.

Accusing the PIA administration of sacking employees, he said that the issue would be raised in the senate.

He expressed his determination that on assuming power the Pakistan People’s Party would ensure reinstatement of all those employees who were sacked by the present government.

The PPP leader also criticised the economic policies of the present regime saying that the caretaker government had no mandate to chalk out long term policies. The main function of a caretaker setup was to ensure holding of elections in a transparent manner, he said.

The Sindh PPP Secretary-General, Nafees Siddiqui, condemned President Pervez Musharraf’s remarks against a senior Pakistani journalist during his visit to the United Kingdom.

Mr Jakhrani charged that the caretaker prime minister, Mohammadmian Soomro, and his mother, Saeeda Soomro, also a district nazim, were openly using government resources and inaugurating government schemes.

He further alleged that Mr Soomro’s nephew, Fahad Malik was a bank defaulter which was also reported in the media.

Despite a ban on postings and transfers, recently, the EDO health and EDO education were transferred on the directives of the caretaker prime minister allegedly to rig the polls in favour of his nephew, he said.