Punjab CM using taxpayers’ money to rig by-polls: Imran
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_7-1-2003_pg7_24
ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan, chief of the Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf, on Monday accused Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi of pre-poll rigging and said the CM was abusing his power by using government funds to support the by-elections campaign of a Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) candidate for Mianwali.
Mr Khan sent a letter to Irshad Hassan Khan, the chief election commissioner (CEC), which was released to the press by the party’s central secretariat. Mr Khan told the CEC that Mr Elahi ‘grossly violated’ the elections code of conduct. The PTI chief is in Mianwali these days to support his party candidate Hafeezullah Khan Niazi, who is contesting for the Punjab Assembly seat number 44. Mr Niazi is contesting the polls as a joint opposition candidate against the “King’s party candidate”.
Mr Khan wrote in the letter that the CM travelled to Mianwali on January 5 on an official plane and the local newspapers said the government bore the expense. The entire district administration was working to support PML-QA candidate.
He said during the visit the CM announced grants of Rs 1 million for those union councils only that were within the PP-44 Constituency and ignored the remaining union councils in Mianwali district.
He condemned the use of “taxpayers’ money to influence the election campaign”.
The PTI chief also criticized the CEC for not taking any action despite irrefutable evidence against PML-QA leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Mr Elahi. He said the CEC’s failure to stop the rigging was tragic. He said massive pre-poll rigging, manipulation of results on the polling day, and subsequent horse trading have led to despondency and despair in the society. —SANA