Code of conduct: ‘PML-N candidate benefited from uplift surge’

PTI candidate says he will move the matter before Election Commission.


Rana Yasif April 27, 2015
The development works began on Monday in some streets which were carpeted and several households were also issued water connections. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

LAHORE: As cranes rolled into several areas in Ward 10 of the Walton Cantonment Board last week to help install electricity poles and transformers, residents breathed a sigh of relief that their long-standing issues were finally being addressed. The surge in development violates Section 27 of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s Code of Conduct which says: government officials and public representatives, including local government officials, will neither announce any development project nor take any steps that could swing the election.

Last week, sewerage pipes, new electricity poles, transformers, and street lights were seen lying in several streets in areas comprising Ward 10. Several other streets were carpeted. The development works began on Monday in some streets which were carpeted and several households were also issued water connections. On Thursday, a crane was seen carrying an electric pole to be installed in some streets and LESCO officials were seen installing new transformers in some areas on Friday. The same day, sewerage pipes were rolled in a street to be dug up and installed in the coming days.

Mian Akhtar, who contested the election from the ward on a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf ticket, said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had tried to swing the vote bank in its favour. He said he would take the matter up with the Election Commission of Pakistan. “Residents now think that these works are a harbinger of more development to come. Many voted for the PML-N candidate because of these works.”

Faheem Ahmed Khan, an independent candidate, said the local MPA was behind the development. “This is the city government’s money, not the cantonment board’s,” he said.

Asked if he was planning on complaining about this to the ECP, he said the damage was done. “I’m not going to waste my time running after the ECP. Residents of this area know that they were ignored for a long time and that development began only a day before the election.”

Muhammad Nasir, a resident of that locality, said that though PML-N workers in the area were supervising the development works, neither the MPA nor the PML-N’s candidate had appeared in public to claim votes on the basis of it.

When contacted, Mian Khalid, the PML-N candidate, said the cantonment board had started the development work. “They had stopped the work a day before the election. It will now be resumed in a few days.” He said neither the local MPA nor he had used any influence to start the development work. “My rivals are using every small excuse to malign me,” he said.

“I was just as surprised to see the development work in the area. I probed a bit and found out that the Cantonment Board had started the work.”

MPA Mian Naseer denied he had started the development work to woo voters. “The PTI only believes in blame game.”

Walton Cantonment Board Chief Executive Officer Waseem Shahid said he had not ordered the development activity in the ward.

LESCO Chief Executive Officer Qaiser Zaman said the company had started installing transformers to improve power supply during summer. No special arrangements had been made for Ward 10, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2015.

 

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ