February 08, 2008	Friday	Muharram 29, 1429

KHANEWAL, Feb 7: Khanewal District Nazim Sardar Ahmad Yar Hiraj said on Thursday union council nazims were not restricted by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from participating in electioneering of a candidate of their choice.

“The ECP only forbids district nazims, naib district nazims, tehsil nazims and naib tehsil nazims from participating and influencing election campaigns,” Mr Hiraj said at a ‘Meet the Press Programme’ at the District Press Club.

He said there were parallel governments of union councils, tehsil councils and district councils at different levels in districts.

He said as UC nazims were not under the district government, he could not stop them from participating in the election campaigns of the candidates of their choice.

“The district coordination officer and I both have directed government officers to be impartial in polls,” he said, adding that the district government was committed to conduct fair and peaceful elections in the district. Military troops would be deployed in the district to maintain law and order, he said.

He claimed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party had no worth in the public. The PML-N and the PPP were contesting elections on only 90 and 175 National Assembly seats across the country. He said PML-N’s leaders had been disqualified for life from contesting the elections whereas the PPP was in the face of intra-party strife on the issue of premiership. He said the PML-Q was the only party, which was contesting elections on all NA seats.

He said PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had tried in 1999 to become the leader of faithful or ameerul momneen.