Checking irregularities: PTI establishes ethics committee

Sarwar says govt trying to influence forthcoming elections.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Provincial Organiser Chaudhry Sarwar on Saturday announced the establishment of an ethics committee to keep a check on financial irregularities and violation of party discipline.

Sarwar, the former governor, made the announcement at a media talk organised after a convention of PTI district organisers. He said the party would not award tickets to those guilty of financial malpractice. Sarwar said the government had been  distributing development funds among Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders to influence the forthcoming local government elections. He called on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take notice of the development. Sarwar said the federal and provincial election commissions were expected to ensure the free and transparent conduct of elections. He said the government had not been providing development funds to opposition lawmakers. Sarwar said this constituted pre-poll rigging.

Commenting on the recent arrest of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) minister Ziaullah Khan Afridi, Sarwar said the PTI was the only political force that held its ministers accountable. He said no one was above the law and there was no place for criminal elements in the party. Sarwar said the last date to receive applications for the award of party tickets for local government elections was July 25. He said final award lists would be revealed on August 20.

Sarwar said the government had been resisting the introduction of a biometric system for free and fair elections as it was not interested in transparency. He vowed to fulfil all promises made by the party in its election campaign.  Sarwar said some mistakes had been made with regard to the distribution of party tickets in the run-up to the 2013 general elections and 2015 elections in cantonment areas. He said party tickets for local government polls would be awarded on merit in a fair and smooth manner.

Deputy provincial organisers Sibtain Khan and Omar Sarfaraz Cheema were also present on the occasion. The ethics committee is composed of Chaudhry Yaqoob, Mumtaz Kahloon and Hamid Zaman. Yaqoob is chairing the committee. The committee will be required to give its verdict on any petition within seven days.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2015.