PESHAWAR: MPA of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz from Mansehra district Mohammad Naeem has moved the Peshawar High Court against the launch of development schemes in his PK-32 constituency insisting the ‘illegal’ government initiative is meant to favour an unsuccessful election candidate of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

In the petition, he requested the court to declare ‘illegal and based on favouritism’ the directives of the chief minister to launch development schemes in the constituency on the recommendation of a candidate, who had lost election to him, besides the other areas in the district, where the PTI nominees were elected.

The lawmaker prayed the court to direct the chief minister to include developmental schemes proposed by him in the District Development Plan, Mansehra, Hazara division, in line with the demands of the residents of his constituency.

He also sought orders for the chief minister to exercise his powers regarding the utilisation of funds in fair and transparent manner and disburse development funds without discrimination.

Opposition lawmaker claims govt initiative meant to favour election loser from PTI in his constituency

The petition filed through lawyer Manzoor Khan Khalil has the chief minister, chief secretary, additional chief secretary (planning and development), secretaries of the finance and local government departments, Senator Azam Swati, Mansehra MNA Saleh Shah, PTI MPAs Syed Ahmad Hussain, Babar Saleem Swati and Nawabzada Salahuddin, District Development Advisory Committee and Mansehra deputy commissioner as respondents.

The petitioner said that he came to know lately that the chief minister had allocated multi-billion rupees for the District Development Plan Mansehra, including development schemes in his constituency as well.

He alleged that the schemes in his constituency were launched on the recommendation of PTI Senator Azam Swati to favour local notable from the PTI Zahid Chanzeb, who had lost the 2018 general elections to him by a big margin.

The petitioner also said that development schemes were approved for other constituencies in Mansehra district from where the candidates of the ruling PTI were elected as MPAs and MNA.

He added that he had submitted a complaint with the chief minister on the matter and requested him to make a fair decision regarding the allocation of development funds for his constituency but there came no response.

The petitioner contended that the allocation of funds for development schemes in favour of a election loser in his constituency was against the relevant rules and was based on favouritism.

He claimed that he had also raised the issue on the floor of the house in its session in Oct 2021 hoping that it would be address, but to no avail.

The petitioner further contended that the holding of the local government elections had already been announced and therefore, the distribution of large sums of funds for developmental schemes on the recommendation of the PTI lawmakers and leaders amounted to pre-poll rigging and was based on mala fide intentions.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2021