[ Afghan Elections 2004-2005 ]

In a statement issued on 7 October, Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman Mas'ud Khan denied Afghan presidential candidate General Abdul Rashid Dostum's allegation that Islamabad was forcing Afghan refugees to cast their vote in favor of Afghan Transitional Administration Chairman Hamid Karzai, Lahore's "Daily Times" reported. According to the report, the statement expressed Pakistan's "shock and dismay" over Dostum's charges. In a separate statement, the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul on 7 October said that Dostum did not have any evidence to substantiate his claim, therefore his allegations were baseless, Radio Afghanistan reported. Dostum, who heads Junbish-e Melli party and controls his own militia, is running as an independent candidate in the upcoming presidential election. It is not clear when Dostum made his remarks (for more on Afghan presidential candidates and political parties, see RFE/RL's special website on the elections at http://www.azadiradio.org/en/specials/elections/). (Amin Tarzi)