PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf central information secretary Naeemul Haq on Saturday said the upcoming local bodies would bring about a real revolution in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by spending billions of rupees on development schemes without the government’s interference.

“The local governments will bring backward areas on par with developed ones in the province,” he said during a Peshawar Press Club programme here.

Haq said though the holding of local government elections for over 40,000 seats was not an easy job, his party’s government in the province did it well.

He said the provincial government had suggested the holding of the elections in three phases but the Election Commission didn’t accept the suggestion and held polls on one day and thus, causing disorder on the polling day.

About the complaints of opposition parties about May 30 local body elections, the PTI leader said it was the duty of the Election Commission of Pakistan to secure the requisite staff, including security personnel and properly train them on election duty but it didn’t do so resulting in chaos at various polling stations.

He said the biggest change was the formation of local bodies as the successive elected government didn’t dare hold elections for the purpose.

“Our party proved that it wanted devolution of powers to the grassroots level so that the people could take part in development of their areas themselves and spend funds on their real issues,” he said.

Haq said PTI wouldn’t allow any of its lawmakers to accumulate money by unfair means and commit corruption.

“The provincial government has given proposal for tge formation of judicial commission. The opposition parties should come forward and devise an effective way to redress grievances through fresh local body elections,” he said, adding that the government was ready to extend all kinds of cooperation for the purpose.

Flanked by provincial information secretary of the party Shaukat Yousafzai and other leaders, the PTI leader said the provincial government had requested the tripartite alliance not to go for shutter down strike but the latter declined.

He said the people saw by themselves that the strike call did not attract the people and hardly few hundred people turned up and they too resorted to violence against shopkeepers.

About the complaints of Jamaat-i-Islami leaders regarding local body elections, Haq said it was the right of the people and that the PTI activists too had filed thousands of such complaints with the relevant authorities.

He said top leaders of PTI and JI had good working relationship to resolve issues but regional leadership of the two parties were authorised to take decisions on their own.

The PTI leader alleged that the PML-N government in Punjab had spent huge funds to influence the recent by-elections in Multan and Mandi Bahauddin to claim victory.

He said PTI had over seven registered members and after intra-party elections in near future, the number would surge turning it into a well-organised and largest party in the country.

Haq admitted that many of his party’s disgruntled activists had won local government elections in the province but the party had so far not taken any decision regarding their association with PTI.

He said media had the right to pinpoint whatever weaknesses it saw in government polices so that the people could benefit in real sense.

Earlier, the PTI leader shared the details with the media of witnesses and proofs of 2013 election rigging presented to the judicial commission.

He said his party believed in fair play and would continue working for the people’s welfare and eradication of corruption from society.

ELECTION RIGGING ALLEGED: The losing candidates on Saturday accused the PTI government of rigging the recent local body elections in the province and demanded fresh polls in different union councils of the provincial capital.

Addressing a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club, Manzoor Khalil of Sufaid Dheri Union Council alleged that the PTI office-bearers had violated the code of conduct and used police personnel for polling fake votes during the May 30 elections.

He said the government had banned the display of arms but PTI workers brandished weapons at different union councils to terrorise supporters of rival parties and independent candidates.

Manzoor said women were not allowed to cast vote in many constituencies, while fake votes were polled in connivance with the election staff and police.

He demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan announce fresh elections in his union council and punish those involved in rigging and violation of rules.

Also in the day, dozens of PTI workers from Nauthia Jadid area accused adviser to the chief minister Arif Yousaf Advocate of changing the results of a town council election and supporting an independent candidate.

The accusation was leveled during a demonstration outside the Peshawar Press Club here.

The protesters urged PTI chairman Imran Khan to take action against Arif Yousaf.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2015

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