KARACHI, Sept 27: Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro on Wednesday demanded that the deadline for the registration of names in voters’ list be extended until the end of October to enable a vast majority of eligible voters to avail the opportunity.

He pointed out that many people had failed to get their names registered due to the adverse situation created by monsoon rains and also by, what he claimed, the mala fide execution of the registration drive by the concerned quarters.

In a statement, he warned that if the date was not extended and the ‘doctored list’ was adopted as final one, it would have serious repercussion on the political situation in the province and would also undermine the purpose of the population census due in 2008.

Mr Khuhro said that the opposition had agreed to a consensus resolution on the matter when it was discussed in the relevant committee, and some of the treasury members had also signed the text. However, he alleged, due to the MQM Minister Mohammad Hussain’s ‘obnoxious’ behaviour, it could not be presented in the house.

He said the people of Sindh were facing great hardship in getting their names registered.

Mr Khuhro also criticised imposition of a ban on teachers’ associations by the Sindh government, and said the order was contrary to the democratic norms and must be withdrawn immediately.

MMA: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to extend the date for the registration of voters at least by 90 days for the people of Sindh, adds PPI.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, it said claimed that people in a large number were being ignored in the process of registration and at many places even the prescribed forms had not been distributed.

The statement, issued by MNAs Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, Abdul Sattar Afghani and Laiq Ahmed, alleged that the election commission officials were acting upon the directives of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and that the voters lists were being submitted at its sector offices. It described the malpractices as the rigging for the upcoming polls.

The legislators said that if the pre-poll rigging continued to be resorted to, the next general elections could not be regarded as free, fair and transparent.

Meanwhile, MMA MPAs have bitterly criticised the government for allegedly promoting obscenity and vulgarity. The MPAs, Nasarullah Shaji, Hameedullah Khan and Mohammad Younus Barai, wondered that one the one hand, all anti-Islam activities were being allowed, and on the other, students were being barred from holding Dars-e-Quran.

In their statement, the legislators deplored that government had put the country’s sovereignty at stake just to please its foreign masters.

They reiterated the MMA’s resolve that to resist Gen Musharraf’s so-called policy of enlightened moderation.