ISLAMABAD Sept 15: Pakistan Muslim League (N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq has said that the government’s blatant involvement in the electoral process indicates that Gen Musharraf may have returned from the United States with a fresh agenda and he may take harsher steps to perpetuate his rule instead of restoring democracy in the country.

“The Americans were keen to see Gen Musharraf stay in power for helping in implementation of their agenda (under the new world order) and hence he is taking anti-people and anti-democracy steps to curb political freedom,” he said here on Sunday.

Asked if there was still a chance of postponement of the general election as being rumoured in certain quarters, the PML leader said: “Yes, the rumour is being spread from the beginning and anything could be expected of this government.”

Asked whether his party would take other opposition parties, including the PPP, into confidence on its option of boycotting the polls, Mr Haq asserted that all the political parties had identical views about the government’s actions aimed at pre-poll rigging. He said the parties were in contact and were considering chalking out a joint strategy against the government.

When questioned if increasing pressure on the military regime would result in a full-fledged martial law in the country, he said, “Already there is martial law in vogue under garb of emergency which cannot be extended to another form in any case.”

Responding to a question if moving the courts against the disqualification of PML-N’s top leaders would not be counter-productive, the party leader said: “We are left with no alternative but to seek remedy from the courts, besides presenting our case before the people.”

Mr Haq alleged that the establishment, including the agencies, were involved in manipulating the elections and in seeking the maximum support for the “King’s Party”.

He said a petition challenging the verdict of election tribunals would be filed in Lahore high Court on Monday.