Islamabad: Former Premier Benazir Bhutto today thanked Britain for its support to Pakistan's transition to democracy but expressed fears that the upcoming general election in the emergency-ruled country may be "rigged".

Bhutto, the chairperson of the Pakistan People's Party, conveyed her concerns to British Foreign Secretary David Milliband when he telephoned her. She told him about reports of plans to illegally cast votes for candidates of the ruling PML-Q, "ghost" polling stations and the abuse of government machinery by mayors who were allegedly campaigning for the PML-Q.

She also told Milliband about the inability of the Election Commission to "address the PPP's complaints of violations of electoral laws", said a statement issued by Bhutto's party. Bhutto, who is in Dubai at present, thanked the British government for supporting the people of Pakistan on the issues of President Pervez Musharraf's retirement as army chief and in getting him to set a date for the general election and the lifting of the emergency.

The statement did not give details of Milliband's response. Bhutto also said the "bulk of voters remained engaged in electoral process and were looking forward to the campaign by political parties". The PPP, she said, had decided to participate in the political process to "either force the regime to make it credible, or else its rigging plan would be exposed".

"If the PPP did not participate in the process, the regime would not need to rig and claim credibility for the process," she said.

Source : PTI