Pakistan People's Party's Chairman and former Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Saturday criticized the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), questioning their purported intentions ahead of the upcoming general elections.

Addressing a Senate session earlier today, Rabbani declared the interim government to be "partial" and claimed the country’s accountability institutions were being used to advance certain political agendas.

He criticized that two major political parties were being targeted, and raised doubts over the transparency of the upcoming polls.

He questioned, "How can these elections be called free, fair and transparent?", adding that the ECP’s silence on the matter was criminal.

Rabbani also questioned the ECP’s role in allowing certain members of banned outfits to contest the polls.

"Did the ECP [summon] details of contestants [belonging to] banned outfits? Did it ask for records of those candidates who have cases registered against them?" he questioned.

He asked, "Under which section of the law and Constitution are [these individuals] being allowed to contest the elections?"

Several concerns were also raised by Opposition leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman, who questioned whose orders would be followed at the polling stations on July 25.