Pakistan's all-powerful spy agencies have prepared plans for rigging next week's key election in favour of President Pervez Musharraf's political allies, a media report said today.
According to the report in The Daily Telegraph, an unnamed retired intelligence official said that spy agencies have targeted key rural constituencies, where electoral rolls had been fixed, ballot boxes pre-stuffed and compliant returning officers drafted to polling stations.
The report said the intelligence agencies have focused on rigging marginal seats, in the country's most important province Punjab, to enable the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q to control the parliament.
Monday's parliamentary elections will determine the political future of Musharraf, a key ally in the US-led war on terrorism, and his supporting party PML-Q.
"Nothing is needed on the day. It is all pre-planned," the former official said.
"The Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate has directed and advised the PML-Q which seats need to be targeted and assisted them in achieving favourable results."
Punjab province is the most politically pivotal of Pakistan's four provinces. It sends 183 MPs to the 342-seat National Assembly and is home to the PML-Q's ruling clan.
At the same time, the intelligence official said that despite the manipulation of election results, Musharraf's party would struggle to gain control of parliament.
Recent opinion polls have showed Musharraf's popularity plummeting. A survey released this week, by the United States government funded International Republican Institute, said half the Pakistanis polled planned to vote for the Pakistan People's Party, 22 per cent backed PML -N, the party of former premier Nawaz Sharif, and only 14 per cent favoured the PML-Q.
