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Senator Latif Khosa, who authored a 160-page dossier with Bhutto documenting rigging tactics, said they ranged from intimidation to fake ballots, and were in some cases unwittingly funded by US aid.
Bhutto had been due to give the report to two visiting US lawmakers over dinner on Dec. 27, the day she was killed in a suicide bombing.
"The state agencies are manipulating the whole process," Khosa, a top Bhutto aide and head of her Pakistan People's Party election monitoring unit, said.
"There is rigging by the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), the Election Commission and the previous government, which is still continuing to hold influence. They were on the rampage."
President Pervez Musharraf's spokesman Rashid Qureshi dismissed the claim as 'ridiculous'.
"It makes one laugh," he said. "The President has said a free, fair, transparent and peaceful election is essential, which forms part of his overall strategy for transforming Pakistan into a fully democratic nation."
"Benazir's coming back to Pakistan was part of a national reconciliation ordinance," he added. "Take it from me, it's going to be perhaps the best election that Pakistan has ever had."
Khosa said the report, entitled 'Yet another stain on the face of democracy', details how the ISI was planning to issue 25,000 pre-stamped ballots for each of 108 candidates for national assembly seats in Punjab from the party that backs President Musharraf and formed his government.
INTIMIDATION
"They have used intimidatory tactics, they intimidated the returning officers into rejecting nomination papers, they prevented candidates from submitting their nomination papers," Khosa said.
"This happened in Baluchistan and in the other Central areas of Pakistan. It happened in Sindh."
He said the ISI also had a 'mega computer' which could hack into any computer and was connected to the Election Commission's system.
Separately the commission had tried to manipulate the voting register by leaving millions of potential voters out, he added.
An initial draft list of voters published in June put the electorate at 52 million people, more than 20 million short, triggering a backlash from Musharraf's politial opponents.
The Supreme Court ordered the commission to revise the list, and in October it raised the total to 80 million.
"The Election Commission is completely subservient to the government," Khosa said.
In the Election Commission's case, US financial aid had been used in rigging, he added, stressing however he did not believe it was diverted military aid.
"She was going to give the dossier to two US lawmakers simply because they happened to be visiting. It was then going to be made public," Khosa said.
"Benazir was supposed to hold a press conference. It was going to be distributed to everyone, but unfortunately that did not arise because she was assassinated."
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RatingIt is a sad state of affairs, when Benazir is thinking it fit to report poll-rigging evidence to US lawmakers.Is US running the country? If so US must also be a party to mujahideen activities in Kashmir.Can you think of Sonia reporting evidence against Narendra Mody to US lawmakers.
I THINK ITS FAIR TO BE CONCERNED ABT.PAK.SITUATION. EVEN WISH THEM PROGRESS IN DEMOCRACY, BUT DEFINITELY NOT FIAI THE WAY OUR TVMEDIA HAS GONE CRAZY ABOUT BENEZIR. SHE IS A NO GANDHI OR MOTHER THRESEA, BUT MAIN CREATOR OF TALIBAN AND ISI. HER FATHER WAS OPENLY HATEFUL OF INDIA. IN THE U.N. GEN.ASSEMBLY HE TOLD US "you hindu dogs " ! and she diplomatically tried to hurt us. Wish she did not die this way, but she was not a right person for us. In pak. to the family ammassed huge fortunes of wealth, established a dynasty and she has a right husband for this purpose, MR.10%, WILL BECOME 50-50. They feed the pak.people with horrible antihindu and anti india narco...and continue to rule.But God has desposed of them in a way
Poll Rigging: Bhutto had 'proof' of ISI-EC nexus
Benazir is killed by the very same people who she instigated against India while she was the PM. She used to call them Jihadi, mujahideen and freedom fighters. Her misdeeds are backfired on her. Now they are terrorists.India is not much better than pakistan. India's EC, PM and President are bunch of jokers. They are all loyal and subsurvient to Sonia. Plainly, like any other muslim country in the world India is not fit for democracy. India is ruled by one family for 50 yrs out of 60. It's shows the immaturity of the people. India is basically voluntary dictatorship. Look at this. Scions of this family, Sanjay, Rajiv and now Rahul lived abroad, have good time there. party, wine and women. And, when they get back to India, PM's chair is waiting for them. Is it democracy?
If an organisation like the election commission had done such a dirty manipulation of making fake ballot papers, it's a shame for it. If Pak institutions try to copy their Indian counterparts, then it should also learn about reforms from them. Their election governing body should also follow the Indian election commission, whose actions have availed a lot of Indian voters to vanish the irregularities during the elections. Election is a belief of people in democracy. Pak election commission should respect this fact and shouldn't work under the pressure of investigative agencies.
Like any other person in Pakistan, Election Commission is also scared of Musharraf and his mafia, notoriouly known as ISI. There is no chance in hell for fair and free elections in Pakistan. India is slightly better than Pak but even there Election Commission is a joke.
hey abheet - why is that you say EC in India is joke, It's becuase that you are writing this commen peacefully sitting at home watching IN vs AUS match without any worry - you loser, you don't seem to be educated enough to make such comments as you moron live out of the world that everyone is living in. try living in Pak for a day - and you will know the difference yourself. if EC is joke in india what we call you as - f**k off-
my dear muslim brothers an sisters.pls stop cursingeach other.dont u think pakistan is a family and u have killed one of ur own family member.world is laughing on u.when will u change urself.this things r not in quran.ok god who is creating this fuss for our religion.for muslim world.my dear brothers respect ur religion.our religion came with this intention to stop cruel things inocent killings.but we are doing it.
This kind of kite flying about rigging is routine in countries of south asia. Simple black mail. There are going to be neutral observers and the President is promising fair and unblemished elections and so they will be. Thanks.
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