ISLAMABAD: Rejecting the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to freeze all development funds including that of Peoples Housing Scheme in Sindh as illegal, unconstitutional and anti-people, PPP has asked the ECP it to immediately unfreeze the funds.

“Orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan to freeze development funds in the province of Sindh, including those allocated in the provincial budget for providing flood-resistant houses to families devastated in last year’s floods and for solar panels to provide relief to the poorest of the families from hours of load-shedding and exorbitant electricity bills are shocking to say the least,” in-charge PPP election cell Senator Taj Haider said in a letter written to Chief Election Commi­ssioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

He stated that during the discussions on amending Section 230 of the Election Act 2017 by the Parliamen­tary Committee on Electoral Reforms, both the secretary and special secretary of the ECP were present as witnesses. During those discussions, the committee members had unanimously agreed that caretaker governments should not have the authority to obstruct or modify policies or halt ongoing development projects.

Mr Haider recalled that he had voiced serious concerns during this discussion that the caretaker administrations might potentially impede the progress of the two initiatives designed to aid families in distress.

“Little did I suspect that while we were stopping the caretakers, it would be the honourable ECP itself who would take this illegal, unconstitutional and anti-people step,” he writes.

The PPP leader said a technical and financial model based on the concept of reconstruction of Ger­many after the World War II had been designed and was being implemented for reconstruction of two million houses swept away by the torrents in Sindh.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2023