A former Supreme Court judge, who is challenging General Pervez Musharraf in the crucial presidential poll next month, has demanded intrusive frisking of voters.
ISLAMABAD: A former Supreme Court judge, who is challenging General Pervez Musharraf in the crucial presidential poll next month, has demanded intrusive frisking of voters, fearing rigging by the ruling pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League and its coalition parties.
Justice (retd) Wajeehuddin Ahmad, the lawyers' candidate for the presidential election, urged the Election Commission to conduct body searches of all voters on the polling day to prevent rigging.
Ahmad formally entered the presidential fray by filing nomination papers on Thursday. The Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan People's Party has put up its leader Amin Fahim as the presidential candidate to take on Musharraf.
Ahmad in an application to the Election Commission, stated that he feared the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) and its coalition parties would rig the election on October 6, and body searches of all voters could prevent this from happening, the Daily Times newspaper reported on Friday.
In a separate application, he requested the Election Commission to let his agent examine the nomination papers of General Musharraf.
Musharraf filed his nomination papers for the elections on Thursday amid tight security to prevent protests by the opposition, who had threatened to lay seize of the offices of the Election Commission.
The Supreme Court ordered the release of opposition leaders and activists who were arrested after vowing to stage demonstrations against his nomination.
Musharraf took power in a 1999 coup. With his popularity crumbling, the General has said he would doff his uniform if he wins a new five-year term next month.
However, the Supreme Court is set to pronounce the legality of President Musharraf seeking another five-year term in uniform.
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