LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Lahore organiser Shafqat Mahmood has alleged that the PML-N has begun pre-poll rigging and expressed apprehension that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif may even now try to avoid the upcoming local elections for he can’t even think of devolving powers and, more importantly, funds.

He said the PML-N had resisted local elections during its last seven years in power.

Mr Mahmood was speaking at a news conference here on Friday, wherein he announced 21 provincial constituency level committees to select the candidates. He said application forms would be available for potential candidates from July 6 (Monday).

Shafqat accuses CM of pre-poll rigging

Addressing the chief minister, Mr Mahmood said he should organise local elections and devolve powers and funds at the grassroots level. He said Shahbaz Sharif had also not handed him MNA fund of Rs20 million for his constituency and instead gave funds to his close aide Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan which was a pre-poll rigging.

He said the Lahore DCO had once asked him about the issue but did not respond when he was told that the funds were not transferred to him. In his opinion, MNAs should focus more on legislation and the development funds should go down to district, tehsil and union council levels. However, he said, the PML-N leaders wanted concentration of all funds at one place so that they could utilise them for their flashy projects.

“As people will get a chance in local elections, they will reject the PML-N,” he said.

Mr Mahmood said the PML-N was also delimiting constituencies afresh in keeping with its wishes which again was pre-poll rigging. He said the PTI would protest and demand that the Election Commission should take notice of the pre-poll rigging. He said the PTI was ready to contest against the PML-N on all fronts including elections, courts and even on roads. He said the PPP had already eroded in Lahore.

Stating that an executive committee as well as youth and women consultative committees have already been constituted in Lahore, the PTI Lahore organiser said provincial constituency level committees had also been formed which would finalise the LG polls candidates. The committees’ unanimous decision for and against candidates would be upheld as such, while in case of difference of opinion, the appeals would be heard by the district committee for the seats of union council chairmen and vice chairmen only. The UC chairmen and vice chairmen will hear appeals for all other seats in their respective union councils.

Asked about PTI Punjab organiser Chaudhry Sarwar’s claim that the application forms would be available from July 1 to 15, Mr Mahmood said delay was due to technical problems in printing the application forms. He said the party would extend the date for a couple of days, if there would be any need. He said the party would announce candidates till July 30 and three days would be given to appeal against the selected candidates. The final list of candidates would be displayed on Aug 10.

After the candidates’ selection process, he said, committees would be constituted at each constituency level for running the election campaign.

COMMITTEES: According to a notification, the Local Government Candidates Selection Committees, Lahore, are: Hamid Zaman (convener) and Yasir Gillani in PP-137; Hamid Zaman (convener), Mian Mahmood Ahmad, Malik Asif, Farooq Khan and Chaudhry Siddiq in PP-138; Dr Yasmin Rashid (convener), Mazhar Iqbal Bhalli Butt, Tariq Sana Bajwa and Chaudhry Asghar Gujjar (PP-139); Dr Yasmin Rashid (convener), Zubair Niazi and Jamshed Butt (PP-140); Muhammad Madni (convener), Nawaz Nat, Imran Butt and Hajid Tahir Naveed (PP-141).

Muhammad Madni (convener), Tariq Sadaat, Salman Shoaib, Malik Waqar and Haji Imtiaz (PP-142); Dr Zaka Ghani (convener), Arshad Khan and Yameen Tipu (PP-143); Hamid Meraj (convener), Dr Waseem Safdar and Rana Arif Mushtaq (PP-144); Waleed Iqbal (convener), Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Tariq Hameed and Mian Muhammad Iftikhar (PP-145); Waleed Iqbal (convener), Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Haji Sadiq, Chaudhry Obaidur Rehman and Mian Riaz (PP-146).

Aleem Khan (convener) and Shoaib Siddiqi (PP-147); Aleem Khan (convener) and Mian Aslam Iqbal (PP-148); Hammad Azhar (convener), Mian Akram Usman (PP-149); Hammad Azhar (convener) and Mehr Wajid Azeem (PP-150); Shafqat Mahmood (convener) and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed (PP-151); Shafqat Mahmood (convener) and Dr Murad Raas (PP-152); Ejaz Chaudhry (convenor), Shabbir Sial, Abdul Karim Kalwar and Hazrat Gul Khan (PP-153); Ejaz Chaudhry (convener), Naeem ul Haq and Sajid Sardar Joya (PP-154); Mansha Sindhu (convener) and Shahid Yousaf Meo (PP-159); Haji Karamat Khokhar (convener), Sardar Kamil Omar and Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar (PP-160); and Haji Karamat Khokhar (convener), Sardar Kamil Omer, Khalid Gujjar and Rana javed Omar (PP-161).

The PTI Lahore organiser, who flew abroad on Friday night, said the candidates selection committee for NA-130 constituencies would be announced later.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2015

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