Bill it to the state: NA-40 candidates refuse to pay ‘illegal’ dues to Tesco

Say the Constitution does not have any provision which forces tribals to deposit money in advance of polls.

MIRANSHAH:

Candidates who submitted applications to contest from NA-40, North Waziristan Agency (NWA), rejected the electricity bills sent to them by the Tribal Electric Supply Company (Tesco) on Tuesday.

Every candidate looking to contest the polls has to be cleared by the State Bank of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau and Federal Board of Revenue – a requirement made mandatory by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). These government institutions are screening candidates’ backgrounds for criminal convictions, loan defaults, tax evasion and other financial irregularities.



The power supply dues were sent from the office of the Tesco Bannu division commercial manager to the NA-40 returning officer and the NWA political administration.

Malik Laiq Zaman, Malik Noor Muhammad, Malik Darya Jan and other candidates who were sent the bills told members of the press that at the time of the 2008 polls, they had submitted a Rs10,000 advance  for electricity bills upon court orders.

The applicants stated the court had not issued any such verdict this time round and pointed out the Constitution of Pakistan does not carry any stipulations asking tribals to deposit any money. They said they were not ready to “submit money for illegal electricity bills”.



Muhammad Din from the Mada Khel tribe, who was sent a bill to the tune of Rs3.73 million. The candidates told the reporters most people in Mada Khel live without electricity, a fact they thought cast aspersions on the validity of the eye-watering electricity bill.

The candidates made subtle references to candidates in Islamabad and Peshawar who they said had not stepped foot in NWA in the last five years. They alleged these candidates were also sent unpaid bills to pay.

All NA-40 candidates appealed to the ECP to take notice of the ‘illegal’ bills sent by Tesco, stating they were unable to pay these dues.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2013.