ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) chairman Tahirul Qadri has said that the upcoming general elections will most likely be engineered in view of the fact that the government has already started “pre-poll rigging” by not allowing political parties to start election campaigns.

He was talking to reporters at the party’s office here after his meeting with the chief of European Union team of election observers, John Cushnahan.

“It looks as if the present military government has become a party and is using all the state resources to monopolise the results of the upcoming general election,” he said.

He pointed out that with less than two months to go, the government was yet to lift the ban on political activities. Lifting the ban is a must for impartial elections, he maintained.

“Until people are not aware of the true picture of the country’s political scene, they will not be able to elect true leaders to the elected institutions,” he remarked.

Election rigging is not just restricted to the polling day only, Mr Qadri said and added: “It rather starts with the announcement of general election when unwanted political parties are subjected to certain calculated obstacles.” Commenting on his meeting with Mr Cushnahan, the PAT chief said that like other political parties, the PAT had also shared its apprehensions with the EU representative.

Asked if he was in favour of EU interference in the election process, he said there was no harm if somebody wanted to observe the election process.

In response to a question, Mr Tahir expressed his regrets over his party’s support to the referendum to allow President Gen Pervez Musharraf another five-year term as president.

The PAT was of the view that reforms started by the military government would bring about a positive change, hence it had decided to support Gen Musharraf, he said.

But to PAT’s utter disappointment, the present military government followed in the footsteps of its predecessors in working on an agenda to prolong its tenure rather than mitigate the sufferings of general public, he added.