ISLAMABAD, Aug 29, Reuter: Former Prime Minister Mohammad Khan Junejo on Monday joined a growing chorus of opposition demands for the sacking of Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to prevent rigging of November’s elections.

Junejo’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML) called on acting President Ghulam Ishaq Khan to replace the four provincial Chief Ministers, who split with Junejo over the weekend, and the Federal Cabinet with caretaker administrators.

The PML and all other political patties cannot ‘tolerate such partisan people in the government where they can manipulate and rig the forthcoming elections,” as party resolution said.

Military President Mohammad ZiaulHaq, killed in a mystery air crash on August 17, sacked Junejo’s civilian government and the provincial administrations last May.

He nominated interim administrations, mostly PML Members to replace them until the elections and these officials are still in place under Ishaq Khan.

Junejo was echoing the movement for the restoration of democracy (MRD), the main opposition alliance, shose leaders were meeting in Karachi on Monday to discuss election strategy.

If the (current) government is not dismissed, the legacy of undemocratic and unrepresentative rule will continue to haunt the people and the political parties,” left winger Khan Abdul Wali Khan told reporters before the MRD meeting began.

Pakistani elections are supervised by a commission. But most of the people who man the polling booths and prepare electoral lists are provincial officials. Responsibility for law and order during the campaign is also under the provincial governments.

Opposition Politicians fear that, as in many past Pakistani elections, the authorities will be able to use their power to harass rivals and rig the results.

The opposition parties have welcomed Ishaq Khan’s pledge to ensure fair and free elections and the endorsement of the Army Chief, General Mirza Aslam Beg. But they have become more and more vociferous in demanding neutral caretaker governments.

Rumours circulated last week that Ishaq Khan was about to replace the four Chief Ministers with high court judges. But in a speech on Friday he said he had no intention of mixing the roles of the judiciary, legislature and executive,

Junejo, once Zia’s handpicked candidate, has moved closer to the ‘Opposition since his sudden dismissal. The final move came on

Friday when the PML split.

One faction was made up of Zia protégés, including at least six Cabinet Ministers and the four provincial Chief Ministers, and the other of Junejo loyalists.

Junejo was unanimously reelected president of his fact go boisterous meeting in Islamabad on Monday.

About 100 senators and former deputies of the national assembly, the lower house dissolved by Zia in May, attended the Junejo meeting. About half those numbers were at the rival faction’s gathering on Friday.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 2, 1988