PTI leader Ejaz Chaudhary said he is at a loss to understand why the Election Commission of Pakistan is silent and not taking any action against PML-N as Punjab government has released Rs7 billion for development schemes to win local bodies elections in the province. PML-N is attempting pre-poll rigging while ECP is turning blind eye, as this hefty amount would be utilized to buy the votes he added. He said allocation of these development funds before the announcement of local government election schedule is outright pre-poll rigging. It is the constitutional duty of ECP to organize and conduct elections and to make necessary arrangements to ensure that the elections were conducted fairly and in accordance with the law but unfortunately ECP has failed to perform its duty.
PTI leader Yasmin Rashid said Sharif Brothers are rigging masters and they know how to buy votes and they are doling out billions of rupees to the MPAs of their party for development work in their constituencies. These 7 billion rupees has been put at the disposal of Sharif Brothers cronies. This public money would be used to buy votes in the upcoming local bodies elections she added. She said Sharif Brothers have already shown their bad intent by delaying the local bodies election in the province on the name of floods.
PTI Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas said to buy votes Sharif Brothers continued their bogus practices. If each MPA of ruling party would get up to Rs20 million to Rs 25 million to spend on elections this amounted to influencing the results of the elections by depriving candidates of a level playing field of opposition parties she added. She said it is imperative for the ECP to take necessary steps under the law to prevent any action by the federal or provincial governments to influence the results. Development at local level is the job of local governments, for they can effectively control and monitor the schemes but in Sharif Brothers rule politically ambitious MNAs and MPAs have come into play to rig the local bodies elections she added. She said Sharif Brothers the so-called champions of democracy have so far not been able to rise above cronyism and use of money to buy the votes.
Media Cell
PTI Punjab