LAHORE — Pakistan’s two-time former Premier Nawaz Sharif warned yesterday on election eve that the polls would be “massively rigged” and said it could plunge the country into chaos.

Speaking ahead of today’s parliamentary elections seen as crucial to future stability in this nuclear-armed nation, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N party claimed to have compiled extensive evidence of electoral fraud.

“I think it is more than clear that a massive rigging plan is in place, it has been implemented,” Sharif told reporters in the political hub of Lahore.

If vote fraud denied victory to his party and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — which was led by Benazir Bhutto until her death in a suicide bomb attack in December — Sharif said unrest could erupt. “It could turn into a very chaotic situation and lead to some sort of anarchy,” he said.

Sharif said he and Benazir’s husband and successor Asif Ali Zardari had sat down on Saturday and agreed to meet tomorrow or Wednesday in Islamabad to assess the election results and decide what action to take. “One thing is certain, by the grace of God — that the two of us, we and the People’s Party, must win more than (a) simple majority,” he said.

“If we are deprived of that, that means massive rigging has taken place. And I think both of us will then protest and protest very strongly... protest on the streets and also in the Parliament.”

President Pervez Musharraf has insisted that the polls will be free and fair, and the man seen as his choice for prime minister — Chaudhry Pervez Elahi of the pro-Musharraf Muslim League — refuted Sharif’s claims. “All charges are frivolous and we are going to win the election on the basis of our five years’ performance,” Pervez told AFP.

Opinion polls suggest that if the elections are free and fair, Sharif’s PML-N will come second to Benazir’s PPP, with the pro-Musharraf Muslim League, the PML-Q, trailing behind.

Sharif said that if the PML-N and PPP got a two-thirds majority, they would move to reverse Musharraf’s Nov. 3 declaration of emergency rule.

This action, he said, would nullify the Election Commission’s subsequent naming of Musharraf as president and remove him from the top post.

Zardari said in an earlier interview with AFP that he would be willing to enter into a power-sharing government with the PML-N, and did not rule out the possibility of cooperating with Musharraf. But Sharif ruled out an alliance with the president.

“Our agenda and President Musharraf’s agenda are poles apart,” he said, but added that he would consider working with the PML-Q if they distanced themselves from the policies of their founder.

A senior US senator in a congressional team traveling to monitor the polls said the United States should cut off military aid to Pakistan if the vote was not fair. Sen. Joseph Biden also warned of riots throughout Pakistan if the elections were rigged. Asked what would be the consequences of unfair elections, he said: “I would move to cut off aid to Pakistan, military aid.’’ He specifically cited the sale of F-16 fighter jets and P3 long-range maritime surveillance aircraft.

Politicians were making final preparations yesterday for today’s elections where over 81 million voters will exercise their right of franchise. Information Minister Nisar Memon promised fair elections and tight security to ensure they are peaceful. “If anyone tries to create a law and order situation, he will be dealt with sternly,” Memon told reporters.

Pakistan Army has deployed more than three infantry divisions to provide security during the elections. Troops have been sent to sensitive areas of the country to maintain law and order, said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, director-general of the Inter-Services Public Relations directorate.

— With input from agencies