PESHAWAR, Sept 29: A resident of Kohat has charged the governor, in a writ petition at the Peshawar High Court, of influencing the general elections by sanctioning Rs45 million for implementation of schemes in the district.

The petitioner, Malik Fida Afridi, claimed that the schemes were recommended by a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League(QA), Iftikhar Hussain Gillani, whereas the government had ignored the schemes proposed by the district council.

A division bench of the high court would take up for hearing the petition on Tuesday. The petition was filed by senior advocate Qazi Mohammad Anwer on behalf of the petitioner.

The petitioner has prayed the court to issue directives that money sanctioned for the electrification and other works in Kohat on the recommendation of Mr Gillani should not be spent till Oct 10 and further directions be issued to the Pesco chief executive that poles and transformers may not be shifted till the end of the elections.

He prayed that instructions may be issued to the director of the works and services department not to commence work on the projects listed in the sanction letters, mentioned by the petitioners, before Oct 10.

The petitioner has requested the court to issue appropriate directives to the NWFP governor not to patronize a particular candidate in his native district. Further directions, he added, may be issued to the chief election commissioner to take appropriate measures for guarding pre-poll rigging in the form of sanctioning schemes at the behest of a candidate.