LAHORE, July 2: The PPP alleged on Tuesday that top officials of the Punjab government were visiting various cities to pressure PPP candidates not to take part in the elections.

Provincial Information Secretary Naveed Chaudhry and central deputy information secretary Altaf Qureshi said at a news conference that the new Punjab chief secretary, the police inspector-general and the home secretary were using the governor’s aircraft to visit various cities.

If former federal minister Anwar Saifullah could be implicated in a reference on the charge of misusing the government aircraft, why not these officials could be proceeded against on the same charge, the PPP officials said.

Jhelum, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Dera Ghazi Khan had already been visited by Punjab government officials and more cities were being included in the itinerary, they said.

Important officials were being told to support the political party which was extending cooperation to the government or proceed on long leave, the PPP leaders alleged.

In these circumstances, the PPP leaders said, far and fair elections could not be expected.

Mr Qureshi told a reporter that the PPP had taken no decision to launch a movement against the government. July 5, he said, would be observed as a black day as it was on this day in 1977 that Gen Zia had overthrown the PPP government.