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FAISALABAD, July 24: The government has directed all the departmental heads and law enforcement agencies to give maximum help to the aspiring candidates backed by pro-government parties to ensure their success in the general elections.
A well placed source said here on Wednesday the agencies had also been directed to gather information about the ‘activities’ of the Nazimeen and councillors who have good following in their respective areas and were interested in contesting the elections so that they could be ‘pressurized’ for joining government-backed political parties.
He said heads of law enforcement agencies and utility departments have been directed to cooperate with the “elected representatives” and members of the PML(QA) and Millat Party for resolving problems of their areas.
Candidates having strong political footing in their areas were the focus of government machinery and some government officials have been asked to enrol them in the PML(QA) and the Millat Party, he added.
He claimed that tehsil city Nazim Mumtaz Cheema and his brother Mushtaq Cheema, the chairman of Faisalabad Dryport Trust, who were staunch supporters of the PPP, were forced by the government agencies to join the PML(QA).
He claimed that two tehsil Nazimeen and a former MNA were expected to join the PML(QA) within a couple of days.
The Punjab home secretary and inspector-general of police during their recent visit to Faisalabad asked the local police high ups to extend every possible help to the PML(QA) office-bearers. The meeting which was held at the Circuit House, was attended by almost all the PML(QA) and Millat Party leaders.
A police official on condition of anonymity said there was no clear indication from the government about “supporting” a specific political party in the elections. But it was true that instructions had been issued for providing maximum help to the PML(QA) and the Millat Party, he added.
MOTIVATION CAMPAIGN: Despite ban on political activities in the country, some aspiring candidates have started holding corner meetings in their respective constituencies.
The leaders and workers of the PPP and the PML(N) have been directed by their central leadership to immediately send fresh lists of candidates having required educational qualification to award them party tickets.
Offices of union councils are abuzz with political activities as majority of the Nazimeen, Naib Nazimeen and councillors have close links with the PML(QA), the PPP, the PML(N) and the Jamaat-i-Islami.
NUMBER OF SEATS: The government has increased the number of National Assembly seats from nine to 11 and provincial assembly from 18 to 22.
In the 1985 partyless elections, Faisalabad district had 10 national and 20 provincial assembly seats. However, in 1988 the number of seats was reduced to nine and 18.
Local political pundits claimed that all the three national and six provincial assembly urban constituencies have been drastically changed in the recent demarcations which has upset former MNAs and MPAs.
