RAWALPINDI, Sept 28: The Election Commission’s response to the concerns of the People’s Party Parliamentarians regarding pre-poll rigging has been poor, PPP secretary-general Mian Raza Rabbani said here on Saturday.

Speaking at a press conference at Rawalpindi Press Club, Mr Rabbani said the military regime had gone to the farthest extreme as far as pre-poll rigging was concerned. He categorized pre-poll rigging into three categories — political manoeuvring, amending the laws and administrative support.

He said the biggest instance of pre-poll rigging was the making of Benazir specific laws, which related to no other person. He said a new dimension had been added to the methods of rigging by the regime by coercing the PPP candidates through the use of state apparatus.

He said in one such incident the office of a candidate was raided and scores of workers arrested. The Lahore High Court, he said, was approached which observed that action was based on malafide intentions.

Regarding a Quetta incident in which workers from a political party fired at the PPP office, he said, the Election Commission was approached, which directed the Balochistan IG police to probe the matter.

“Instead of taking action against the culprits, the police registered a case against the PPP workers,” he added.

The PPP leader said despite all the rigging being done by the government, the PPP was all set to emerge as the single largest party in the parliament after the elections. He said Benazir Bhutto would be nominated as the next prime minister. He said appeals against Benazir’s disqualification were being heard by the courts and the PPP hoped that justice would prevail. He said Ms Benazir would contest the by-elections from Larkana once the courts set aside her disqualification.

He said the voters would turn up in large numbers on October 10 and foil government’s designs of election-day rigging. He said the party might not require to form a coalition with other political parties for setting up a government. However, in view of the sensitivity of the situation, the PPP would take along all political forces to develop a national consensus, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Naheed Khan said the PPP would win over 150 seats in the National Assembly and form governments in the Punjab, Sindh and the federation.

Regarding the use of party flag and logo by some of the contestants in the general elections, who have not been awarded party tickets, Mr Rabbani said they had been warned to refrain from such a practice or else the Election Commission would be moved against them.

He was specific about Sarwar Khan, contesting from NA-53, and Faiz Taman, a candidate from NA-61. He said the party office- bearers, supporting these candidates, were also being warned.