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Musharraf warns against disorder during polls

The Dawn, By Ihtashamul Haque, 29/8/2002
http://www.dawn.com/2002/08/29/top1.htm

ISLAMABAD - President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday that certain political activities had been allowed but warned that nobody would be allowed to "disrupt the civic life". Presiding over a cabinet meeting here, the president said strict action would be taken against those who tried to create a law and order situation in the name of electioneering.

Gen Musharraf said as president it was his duty to see that everything went right in the forthcoming polls, official sources said here. Dispelling doubts expressed by certain quarters about holding of fair and free elections, the president told the cabinet members that a "level playing-field" would be provided to all political parties to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.

There was no question of allowing any rigging or granting special favour to any political party or a group in the elections, the president was quoted as saying. In the first place, he said, the Election Commission was making all possible efforts to hold fair and free election. However, he assured his cabinet colleagues that military authorities would also ensure that no rigging took place.

The sources said the president criticized those elements who were spreading rumours about Continued on Page 5Continued from elections and said only those were creating doubts about the fairness of elections who feared defeat.

LAW & ORDER: The president also told the cabinet that directives had been issued to the provincial governments to ensure peace during the elections. Gen Musharraf said he had no political interests to allow any particular party or group to make the new government through unfair means. He said why should he allow anyone to say that the October elections were not held in a free and fair atmosphere.

He said a process of political and economic reforms had been put in motion and he would not allow anyone to undo that process after October this year. The president said his government had allowed foreign organizations to come to Pakistan and monitor the elections. He said all those who wanted to come for covering elections would be facilitated in all possible manner.