On the Campaign Trail: 'PML-QA will form government'

The man whom many believe is destined to be President Pervez Musharraf's key man in Punjab has vehemently denied his Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-QA) has official backing while vowing to back Musharraf all the way.

Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, who addressed thousands of supporters and party workers waving posters featuring 'cycle' election symbol of PML-QA at Pindi Gheb, 90 km southwest of Islamabad, yesterday denied his party had received any government support for the October 10 contest.

"We have been working for the past three years. We have struggled hard in local body polls and secured good results. The support we have today is on the basis of our past three years of hard work," he said. "This is extremely unfortunate and unfair to label us the king's party."

"Our party will win, not just in Punjab but everywhere in Pakistan and the next government is our government," he said.

The PML-QA is rated the front-runner in next week's national elections amid a general perception the party enjoys the blessings of the military regime. Dubbed the 'king's party' by opponents, the PML-QA has an array of traditional election winning candidates in its fold and, along with other pro-government allies, is already flashing the V-sign.

The military ruler is under fire from major opposition parties, which are accusing him of propping up supportive political groups by what they call "massive pre-poll rigging through administrative wheeling and dealing."

The charges, denied by the government as unfounded claims of politicians with a tainted past, have helped boost the image of PML-QA and allied parties in the public eye as regime favourites.

"Instead of hurting us, the accusations have proved a blessing in disguise," Elahi, PML-QA's president in Punjab, told Gulf News, adding he fully backed the Musharraf government.

"Our policy is the same as that of President Musharraf. We openly support his policy and that remains our party line," said the Chaudhry.

The speakers poured venom on Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and PML-N of former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif respectively. They focussed on "misrule and corruption" during Benazir's two terms in office and condemned Sharif for betraying the people and running away from the country.

"We will also get on our side those elected to National Assembly as independents and thus clinch a comfortable majority in the house," a PML-QA campaign activist said.

Elahi said his party, which broke with the parent party led by exiled prime minister Nawaz Sharif soon after the bloodless coup that brought Musharraf to power, believed in sorting out problems through political means.

"Our party has the support of moderate Muslims, our strongest vote-bank. We will use this support to fight militancy and extremism."

PML-QA and allied parties are contesting most of the 272 National Assembly in Thursday's vote.