LAHORE: The chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional has warned of bloodshed and riots during the coming elections.

told reporters at a ceremony here on Friday that the government should take extraordinary measures to ensure fair, transparent and free elections, and peaceful transition of power.

He said that because of poor security situation it would be difficult to organise meetings and processions and other activities during election campaign.

“The situation in the country is not stable and it is moving backwards instead of going forward,” he added.

Pir Pagara blamed Sindh police for deteriorating law and order in the province, particularly in Karachi, and alleged that most policemen were involved in criminal activities.

He announced that Chaudhry Zaheer Ahmed of the defunct Millat Party had joined PML-F.

Pir Pagara called upon PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to find likeminded people in Punjab and other provinces for fielding them as joint candidate.

The two factions of Muslim League recently agreed to field joint candidates in Sindh.

Pir Pagara suggested unification of all factions of Muslim League and said political parties should set aside their differences and demonstrate unity.

He agreed with a reporter that opposition parties got united only after the Islamabad sit-in by supporters of Dr Tahirul Qadri.

Referring to MQM’s parting of ways with the Pakistan People’s Party just a few months before elections, PML-F chief said he had predicted it earlier.

Pir Pagara said he was seeing the use of money in elections, particularly in Sindh and Punjab, adding that political parties had started the process of buying votes.

He called for the appointment of impartial persons as provincial governors, saying the present ones were appointed on political basis and they had maintained affiliation with their parties.

He also called for removal of all the four provincial election commissioners.