ISLAMABAD, July 31: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has apprised member states of European Union and several other important countries of the "massive irregularities being carried out by the government in the by-elections" scheduled for August 18 in which the sitting finance minister is a government candidate.

On behalf of the PPP, Senator Enver Baig has written a letter sent to the high commissions and embassies of various countries.

Mr Baig writes that the sitting finance minister "already arbitrarily designated by the military president as the next prime minister," is contesting for a seat in the National Assembly.

Apart from gross violation of the Election Commission notification, which stipulates that a holder of office must first resign before contesting a political election has been withdrawn on July 8, after this being pointed in the Senate on July 7, he writes. He says that a massive campaign of "pre-poll rigging has been mounted by the government, including open illegal use of state finances and state facilitates to ensure victory for the official candidate."

"The interference of the government has even gone to the extreme length of illegitimately cutting of irrigation water supply to the lands of Sindh/Punjab PPP MNAs and senators campaigning against the official candidate. This represents a crude attempt at pressurizing party members into changing their loyalties."

Mr Baig called upon the member state of the European Union and other governments, to ease the conscience of the people by sending observers to monitor the election in both the constituencies, and expose the "horrendous fraud that is perpetrated on the people of Pakistan in the name of democracy."

The letter has been sent to governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Portugal, Sweden, UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Denmark, Hungry, Poland, Switzerland, US, Canada, Japan, China, Russia and European Union delegation.