Rigging claims: Rashid calls for freezing lawmakers' uplift funds

Claims development committees were set up to rig local govt elections.


Our Correspondent September 27, 2013
Rashid said allocating funds before the elections amounted to pre-poll rigging. PHOTO: NNI

LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in the Provincial Assembly Mian Mehmoodul Rashid said on Friday he had approached the chief election commissioner seeking a ban on government grants to lawmakers associated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Addressing a press conference at the Punjab Assembly Cafeteria where he was accompanied by PTI’s MPAs Sibtain Khan and Ahmed Khan, he said funds had been granted to PML-N’s legislators ahead of local government elections.

He said allocating funds before the elections amounted to pre-poll rigging.

Rashid said several government departments were responsible for releasing the funds.

He said the government had given around Rs8 million to each lawmaker.

He said district coordination committees in various districts had been constituted by the chief secretary to monitor development programs and to finalise development packages.

Rashid said national and provincial assembly members were members of these committees.

He claimed that the committees had been set up to oversee rigging in the upcoming election.

He said he had asked the CEC to stop the government from allocating development funds to legislators.

He said the PTI would move court against MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif’s appointment as head of the Public Affairs Unit.

Rashid claimed the position gave him powers to be exercised by the chief minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2013.

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