Pakistan's upcoming parliamentary elections would be “massively rigged”, according to a purported audio recording of Attorney General Malik Qayyum. In the recording released by Human Rights Watch, a leading US-based rights group, Qayyum appeared to be advising an unidentified person on what political party the person should approach to become a candidate in the February 18 general election.Human Rights Watch claimed the recording was made during a phone interview with a media person on November 21 last year. Qayyum, while still on the phone interview, took a call on another telephone and his side of that conversation was recorded.Qayyum, a retired judge who is a close aide of President Pervez Musharraf, is heard telling the unidentified person in Urdu and Punjabi to “leave” former premier Nawaz Sharif and seek a ticket from the party that “will massively rig to get their own people to win”.Reacting to the allegations, Qayyum said the comments ascribed to him in the audio recording were false and baseless. “I would not be foolish enough to make such comments and besides, I have nothing to do with the polls,” said Qayyum. He also threatened to sue Human Rights Watch. “I totally deny it (having made the remarks). Why should I suggest anybody to join any party. It is very easy to doctor anybody’s voice,” Qayyum said, adding “I am going to sue the organisation (HRW) which has released the audio recording.”The recording was made the day after the Election Commission announced the schedule for polls. The polls were originally set for January 8 but were postponed after former premier Benazir Bhutto was assassinated.“They will massively rig to get their own people to win. If you can get a ticket from these guys, take it,” Qayyum purportedly said. It was not known which party he was referring to.Human Rights Watch said its repeated attempts to seek a response from Qayyum by phone were unsuccessful.Sharif’s PML-N and slain former Premier Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have alleged that the polls to the national and four provincial assemblies will be massively rigged.Since the official election period commenced in November last year, there have been numerous allegations of irregularities, including arrests and harassment of opposition candidates and supporters.There were also allegations that local government resources and the state machinery were being used to benefit candidates backed by Musharraf. Human Rights Watch has also charged that the Election Commission was not acting impartially.
