PPP says Pak military intelligence not interfering in politics

Islamabad, Feb 12 : The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has said that the intelligence unit of army, the Military Intelligence (MI), is not interfering into the country's politics following directives issued by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.

The election cell of the PPP has admitted that it had received no complaint from its candidates against the MI ever since the new orders were issued.

"We feel the Army chief's directives have made a difference," a senior member of the PPP election cell told The News.

He went on to say that party's election cell had witnessed a considerable drop in complaints against the role of the MI and pressure tactics used against its party candidates.

"I have noticed that the role of intelligence agencies is much less in the electioneering after the Army chief's directives," said former minister Zubaida Jalal.

Zubaida said there is no interference from the MI General Kayani's orders, but the provincial government in collaboration with district administration was helping the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) sponsored candidate of BNP-Awami contesting against her.

"Clear public order from the Army chief and Musharraf is needed ordering ISI, MI and IB officials not to meet with candidates, campaign or approach election officials The PPP election cell had highlighted this in its preliminary report on pre-poll rigging. It was in this context that the PPP made a demand in its report-cum-dossier which says," said PPP in its report-cum-dossier.

According to the PPP's election cell findings, agencies role has largely been taken over by the police and other law-enforcement outfits.

Complaints received by the election cell has revealed that hundreds of party workers had been arrested from Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Thatta, Sajawal, Qamber-Shahdad Kot, Sukkur, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Tando Adam Khan and other districts of Sindh.

ANI