11.   Vajpayee alleged the dismissal was aimed at helping the new government use state machinery to influence voting in the crucial last day of elections in Uttar Pradesh.

12.   He said the government could use the emergency to stagger the local council elections, if at all, and use state machinery and thugs to intimidate voters.

13.   Anwar contended that the presidential action was justified, saying that the Bhutto government had brought the country to the verge of total breakdown of the state machinery.

14.   The PML has been accusing Bhutto of using the state machinery to victimise political opponents.