ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) secretary-general and a candidate for the National Assembly seat NA-51 Rawalpindi Raja Pervez Ashraf has accused the civil bureaucracy of involved in pre-poll rigging and preparing election results.

“It is not the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) but the police and civil administration that are contesting the elections and designing the results for the Chaudhrys of Gujrat”, he said.

In a statement issued here on Monday, the PPP leader alleged that an election cell had been formed to work for the success of the PML-Q and it had been headed by Hasan Wasim Afzal as chairman and G.M. Sikandar as secretary with IG Punjab and the chief secretary as its members and acting DIG Aftab Cheema as coordinator.

Mr Ashraf claimed that several relatives of the Chaudhrys had been posted on key positions with a purpose to rig the Jan 8 elections. Giving examples, he said deputy inspector-general (DIG) police Bahawalpur Ghulam Haider Marth was a brother of ex- SSP Gujranwala late Ashraf Marth who was the husband of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s sister.

Mr Ashraf said DIG Sargodha Hamid Mukhtar Gondal’s aunt was married to Chaudhry Shujaat’s cousin. In fact, he said, Mr Gondal had the rank of the SP and for the purpose of carrying out ‘rigging’ in the elections he had been given the acting charge of DIG.

Mr Ashraf said it was important to note that several serving DIGs were waiting for their posting and at the moment were working as OSDs (officers on special duties). He said DIG Lahore Aftab Cheema was also a relative of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat. Similarly, he said DIG Sheikhupura Anwer Virk was not only a relative of the Chaudhrys, but a business partner of Monis Elahi, the son of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

Mr Ashraf said the Chaudhrys had resolved land issues of DIG Rawalpindi Saud Aziz’s father, and their families had close ties with each other. He said the son of acting Punjab chief minister, Ejaz Nisar, had been taken on deputation in the district administration from PIA and now he was the DCO Sheikhupura and working for the Chaudhrys along with his father.

The PPP leader said that the IG Punjab, Nasim Ahmed, was a close ally of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Mr Ashraf said that the IG gave an unprecedented farewell to Pervaiz Elahi and in his speech called the former chief minister his benefactor to whom they had to repay.

The PPP secretary general said the Chaudhrys were also using the crime branch of the police department for their advantage. He said Zaman Langrial was a retired SP but working on contract as the SSP in the crime branch.

He said Qamar Zaman, although in his 70s, had been contracted for four years in the crime branch by the Chaudhrys.

He said Ghulam Mohammad Kalyar, a retired SP, had been given four years extension and now working as the SSP.

Mr Ashraf said Brig Aslam Ghumman, the DG anti-corruption, had been given extension for three years after the announcement of election schedule to influence the results.