Province-wide election sought on same day

Pervaiz Elahi demands resignation of ECP members ahead of local government elections

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) leader Chaudhary Pervez Elahi said on Wednesday that local government elections should be held on the same day throughout the province. He demanded that all four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan tender their resignations before the elections.

He was speaking to the media after a meeting of the party’s organising committee.

Elahi said the opposition parties were unanimous in denying the possibility of free and fair elections under the incumbents.

He said the PML-Q had started country-wide re-organisation under the leadership of Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain Sayed. He said a Kissan Convention would be held for the purpose in Gujranwala on September 16. The second such convention would take place in Kasur, he added.

He said the party had authorised Shujat Hussain to lead its effort for the establishment of a grand opposition alliance.

Elahi said the PML-N had destroyed the local government system in the province during its eight years in power. About his party’s participation in the upcoming local government elections, he said district chapter presidents would be authorised to issue party tickets to prospective candidates. He said an office had been set up at the Muslim League House to monitor election related activities.

He said the PML-Q was in contact with other parties to discuss the possibility of fielding joint candidates in the election.

Discussing electricity crisis in the country, he said construction of Kalabagh Dam was necessary to solve the shortage of electricity. He said the dam would also be beneficial for the growth of agriculture sector.

Elahi said embezzlement and corruption were rampant in several provincial government projects. He said there was video footage proving PML-N ministers’ involvement in money laundering. He said the provincial government had caused a loss of Rs80 million to the public exchequer in Nandipur Power Project. He criticised the provincial government for lack of action against those responsible for killing workers of the Pakistan Awami Tehrik at a rally in Model Town in 2014. He asked why, if the government could spend billions of rupees on Metro Bus projects, couldn it not provide funds for Rescue 1122. He said the emergency service was seeking donations to meet its expenses.

Elahi urged his party workers to hold events on September 6 to express solidarity with the Armed Forces of Pakistan and to pay homage to the soldiers who had lost their lives during the 1965 war. MNA Tariq Bashir Cheema, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin Khan, Muhammad Basharat Raja, Sardar Maqsood Leghari, Nauman Langrial, Abid Ashraf Jotana, Dr Arif, Major (r) Tahir Sadiq, Riaz Asghar Chaudhry, Shafay Hussain, Sajid Ahmad Khan Bhatti, Shahid Manzoor Gill, Dr Azeemuddin Zahid Lakhvi, Mian Munir, and Khurrum Munawar Manj attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2015.