PAT demands of Chief Election Commissioner to take notice of pre-poll rigging

PAT Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur has written a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner and drawn his attention to violation of electoral code of conduct by the Punjab government. He said that despite ban, the government is using the development fund for electoral purposes. He said that the Planning and Development Department released a whopping sum of Rs. 698 million for repair, construction and rehabilitation of roads for Bahawalnagar city on October 1, adding that Bahawalnagaer is included in the districts where local government elections are being held in the first phase. He said that the candidates of the PML-N are using this amount for political and electoral purposes, which has put other opposition parties in disadvantageous position.

The PAT Secretary General demanded of the Chief Election Commissioner to stop the Planning and Development Department from releasing the development funds until the local government elections are concluded. He further said that as soon as the political parties started political campaign, the advertisements of the Punjab government bearing pictures and footage of the Chief Minister have started to be run on TV networks, adding that these ads are being paid for by the Punjab government. He said that the government is thus influencing the election process.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur demanded of the Election Commission to take notice of the pre-poll rigging and ban the government advertisements till elections are over. He said that the Election Commission took the right decision of suspending the Kisan package of the federal government by declaring it against the electoral code of conduct. He said that courageous decisions are needed to stop the illegal actions of the government.