KHAIRPUR, Feb 27: Sindh People’s Party Parliamentarians president Syed Qaim Ali Shah has observed that in the presence of Gen Pervez Musharraf as the head of the government, one cannot think of fair and free elections.

Talking to PPP workers at Jilani House here on Sunday, he said the PPP and other democratic forces would win the elections if held under supervision of an impartial caretaker government.

Mr Shah alleged that in the recent local body elections, Sindh had been targeted where excesses had been committed against voters and rigging had been done.

He said this had been done to keep people away from the elections and reduce their faith in democracy. He alleged that criminals had been used to target voters.

He claimed that 25 polling agents had been kidnapping during the by-election for the seat of NA-210 in Kashmore on Saturday.

He said that as per results, 900 women had cast their votes at the Sardar polling station where women were not even one per cent of the total voters.

Answering a question, he said though the Election Commission had made good arrangements, local police, Sardars of the ruling party and criminals had manipulated the election process.

Replying to another question, he said the Election Commission’s decision to cancel the previous by-election for NA-210 and holding fresh polls was due to rigging but it did not punish people involved in the rigging.

He maintained that as per law, the Election Commission could have disqualified the candidate of the ruling party which was involved in the rigging.—BoC