PPP trying to buy voters, alleges PML-N
Party leader Tariq Azeem urges chief election commissioner to take notice.
LAHORE:
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tariq Azeem demanded on Wednesday the chief election commissioner (CEC) take notice of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led federal government’s attempt to “buy voters” before the next parliamentary elections.
Talking to the media, Azeem said that even though the election date has not even been announced yet, the PPP has already started “resorting to its past practices”.
“Distribution of Rs30million to each PPP MPA in Punjab by the prime minister is pre-poll rigging. The money has actually been released for the election campaign and for buying voters,” Azeem said, adding that it was impossible to utilise this huge amount for development projects before the election.
The PML-N leader also demanded that the CEC conduct an audit of the premier’s discretionary funds, pointing out that he had already spent Rs22 billion from the fund and asked for another Rs10 billion. He added that the discretionary fund would be used on the lawmakers leaving the PPP, while the remaining money was to be squandered on election campaigning.
The PML-N leader said the PPP had resorted to such tactics because of its “certain defeat” in the upcoming general elections. He promised that after coming to power, the PML-N would audit the amount given to the lawmakers and take action against anyone found using the money in an illegal manner while returning the money to the exchequer.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2012.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Tariq Azeem demanded on Wednesday the chief election commissioner (CEC) take notice of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led federal government’s attempt to “buy voters” before the next parliamentary elections.
Talking to the media, Azeem said that even though the election date has not even been announced yet, the PPP has already started “resorting to its past practices”.
“Distribution of Rs30million to each PPP MPA in Punjab by the prime minister is pre-poll rigging. The money has actually been released for the election campaign and for buying voters,” Azeem said, adding that it was impossible to utilise this huge amount for development projects before the election.
The PML-N leader also demanded that the CEC conduct an audit of the premier’s discretionary funds, pointing out that he had already spent Rs22 billion from the fund and asked for another Rs10 billion. He added that the discretionary fund would be used on the lawmakers leaving the PPP, while the remaining money was to be squandered on election campaigning.
The PML-N leader said the PPP had resorted to such tactics because of its “certain defeat” in the upcoming general elections. He promised that after coming to power, the PML-N would audit the amount given to the lawmakers and take action against anyone found using the money in an illegal manner while returning the money to the exchequer.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2012.