LAHORE, May 25: An ARD leader alleged here on Wednesday that the entire official machinery was engaged in the selection of candidates for the ruling party in the local bodies elections. Deputy information secretary Munir Ahmed Khan said in a statement that offices of ministers had turned into the offices of the ruling PML and election campaign was being run from there. He said these practices amounted to pre-poll rigging.

Welcoming EU countries’ decision to send their observers to monitor the local elections, the ARD leader said they should send their representatives right now when the pre-poll rigging was in progress, specially in Punjab and Sindh. He said their presence in Pakistan on the polling day would serve little interest.

He recalled that the 2001 local elections were also held on non-party basis, as was being claimed now. But, he said, immediately after the polls councillors and nazims were forced to join the ruling party.

The ARD leader said those who did not change their loyalty despite the ‘carrot-or-stick’ had to face a difficult situation during their entire four-year term.