ISLAMABAD, Sept 22: People’s Party Parliamentarian (PPP) leader Mian Raza Rabbani has alleged that the government has set up special cells at the Chief Executive Secretariat and the governor houses to manipulate the October elections for “desired results”.

The acting central information secretary of the party and former law minister said this during an interview with election observers of Asia Network for Free Elections.

He further claimed that the government had already rigged the elections by prohibiting two former prime ministers from contesting the polls.

Mr Rabbani said the government, on one hand, propagated that the two former prime ministers were corrupt and dishonest, but, on the other hand, it was so fearful that despite their being in exile, it had to enforce new laws “specific to the two leaders only”.

He said legislation was a sacred deed that always took cognizance of those affairs which were linked to the majority of the people, and not against certain individuals.

The PPP leader claimed that the government, while carrying out delimitations of the constituencies in different cities, tried to divide the vote bank of popular opposition leaders.

He expressed his disappointed with the role played by the electronic media during its special coverage of the political parties.

He said an independent group of private observers, in their recent report, had pointed out that the PTV gave more time to those who indulged in mud-slinging against opposition leaders. Mr Rabbani also alleged that the Punjab administration was supporting PML-Q leaders, Chaudhary Shujjat Hussain and Chaudhary Pervez Ellahi, and that the district administration officials were organizing their corner meetings.

“If, at all, the government is truthful in its claims about the popularity of the opposition leaders among the masses, why it avoided getting it tested in elections,” he asked.