Petition: ECP asked to stop use of development funds

LAHORE:

Opposition political parties including the PTI and the PPP on Tuesday submitted a request to the Election Commission office seeking its directions for imposition of a ban on release of development funds ahead of the local government elections.

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed said they also submitted evidence of disbursement of Rs7 billion among government candidates for use on development schemes in their constituencies. He demanded that rangers and army officials be called to supervise elections in the province.

The letter sought immediate action by the ECP on use of development funds. It asked the ECP to direct the government to avoid recruitment of new officials till the elections. It sought directions for ECP officials to file daily reports on the provincial government to ensure that the latter did not violate election rules and regulations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2015.