ISLAMABAD, 19 August — The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) leader Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan said yesterday that there are no chances for fair, free and transparent elections in the country because the government is patronizing some political parties and taking interest in forming their alliance to defeat the opposition.

Talking to newsmen at his Khangarh residence near the Punjab city of Multan, he said the Pakistan Election Commission is also unable to ensure free and fair elections. He was confident that the opposition would sweep the polls if not rigged.

He announced to nominate his five candidates in Muzaffargarh district in forthcoming polls. He further said that "We have no plans to boycott the elections and will face the king’s party (a reference to the recently floated Quaid-e-Azam Muslim League) in the political arena."

To another question regarding an election understanding between the Pakistan Muslim League of former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan People’s Party led by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, he said: "It is a good news for us and bad news for the rulers; now they will take some other measure to take the potential candidates of PPP-PML alliance out of the political arena." Former President Rafiq Tarrar, and Hamza Sharif, son of former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, yesterday morning discussed the possible cooperation between the PML and PPP.

Meanwhile, the government has expressed reservations over the directive of the election authorities that its ministers should resign immediately if they want to take part in the elections. "We are ready to comply with the directive but feel the election commission’s order in this respect is not in line with the relevant laws, which allow the ministers and governors to continue to hold their portfolios even if they are contesting elections," a government official said here yesterday.

"We feel that the law only bars the ministers or governors from using the influence of their office or any public resource in their election campaign or for their canvassing," he said. "The election commission’s order is, therefore, not in line with the law," he said, adding, "but we would still respect it to establish our impartiality."

He said the government has asked its governors and federal and provincial ministers, intending to contest the Oct. 10 elections, to resign from their present assignments before filing their nomination papers. "The same directive has been given to the district and tehsil nazims, or mayors, interested in contesting for the national or provincial assemblies," the official added.

Some federal ministers interested in contesting the elections have already shown their displeasure over the election commission’s order. The military leadership agrees to the point of view taken by some of its ministers but does not want to confront the election commission at this stage, sources here said.

The election commission has issued the directives to the returning officers that nomination forms of the sitting governor of any province, federal or provincial minister should not be accepted for elections to the National Assembly or a Provincial Assembly or the Senate unless and until they relinquish the offices.

In another development, top two intelligence agencies have handed over to the country’s four provinces a new, joint list of "dangerous religious terrorists" who can sabotage the elections. "The provinces were earlier this month handed a list of the country’s most wanted outlaws. We have handed them a new list comprising a list of men jointly drawn after investigation of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau," an official of the Ministry of Interior said here yesterday.

He confirmed media reports that a fresh operation against banned groups has been launched unannounced following reports that these outfits could crate serious law and order situation during the elections. These spy agencies, the sources say, had first prepared separate lists of such terrorists and were supposed to hand them over to their provincial counterparts for action.