http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091 <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=aM3CzN6_zWZw&refer=indi a> &sid=aM3CzN6_zWZw&refer=india
Four Sharif Aides Killed, 12 Hurt in Pakistan Gunfire (Update2) By Khaleeq Ahmed and Khalid Qayum Dec. 27 (Bloomberg) -- At least four supporters of Pakistan's former premier Nawaz Sharif were killed and another 12 wounded in the capital, Islamabad, when gunshots were fired on an election rally. People ``fired on our workers who were gathering for an election public rally,'' Siddique-ul-Farooq, a spokesman for Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, said in a phone interview today. Farooq said supporters of Nawaz Khokar, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam, the party backed by President Pervez Musharraf, fired at the rally. Sharif, who was barred this month from running in the ballot, was headed to the neighboring garrison town of Rawalpindi for a public rally. Pakistan's parliamentary elections are scheduled for Jan. 8, as international calls including by the U.S. and human rights groups for free and fair voting mount. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam denied the charge by Farooq that its supporters fired at the rally. ``This is baseless,'' Tariq Azeem, the party's spokesman said on the phone from Islamabad. ``Our party supporters were not involved in any clash. We condemn the shooting of innocent people and demand action against the culprits.'' Police didn't say who fired at the rally. Chaos, Injuries ``There is a lot of chaos there and we can't tell yet how many more injuries there may be,'' Mohammed Hussain Laasi, a police official, said in a phone interview. ``The incident took place when supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who were heading toward Rawalpindi, were fired upon.'' Pakistan has allowed as many as 200 observers to monitor the fairness of the national elections, the foreign ministry said in a statement on its Web site. Opposition leaders Sharif and Benazir Bhutto say voting will be rigged in favor of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam. The Election Commission has failed to take action on requests by Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party about the pro- Musharraf party using police to ``harass other parties' activists,'' according to a statement by Bhutto's party today. New York-based Human Rights Watch has said restrictions that remain on the media and the firing of judges make a legitimate election campaign impossible. While Musharraf lifted six weeks of emergency rule on Dec. 15, when the decisions were implemented, he didn't rescind the curbs on journalists or give judges their jobs back. Strict Curbs ``The removal of independent-minded judges has rendered free and fair elections impossible, while strict curbs on media further impede accurate reporting on the political and electoral processes,'' said a Dec. 22 statement by Human Rights Watch. Pakistan's Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, which oversees the nation's private broadcasters, last week banned the live transmission of election rallies. Bhutto and Sharif, who were Prime Ministers from 1988 to 1999, have agreed to cooperate in some constituencies by not fielding candidates against each other, in a bid to defeat contenders from the Musharraf-backed party. Both leaders said their parties are contesting the elections under protest to ensure the field isn't left open to the pro-Musharraf group. The president said a day before lifting the state of emergency that he will ensure free and fair elections. Musharraf imposed the state of emergency on Nov. 3 after firing Supreme Court judges as they were about to rule on the legality of his re-election in October for a second five-year term. Musharraf, who took power in a military coup in 1999, stepped down as army chief Nov. 28 and was sworn in as Pakistan's civilian president a day later. To contact the reporter on this story: Khaleeq Ahmed in Islamabad at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; Khalid Qayum in Islamabad at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Last Updated: December 27, 2007 07:13 EST [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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