FAISALABAD, Oct 2: City Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema has allegedly imposed a “publicity tax” on all candidates except those of the PML-QA.

Candidates of PPP, PML-N and other opponents of the PML-QA have been served notices that they should either pay, within three days, millions of rupees for installing hoardings, hanging banners, pasting posters and wall-chalking in the city or face legal action.

A number of candidates belonging to the PML-N and PPP have repeatedly accused the Tehsil Municipal Administration of removing their posters and banners. They have complained to the Election Commission that their posters are removed at the behest of city Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema, whose elder brother, Mushtaq Ali Cheema, is a PML-QA candidate for NA-83, which is an urban constituency. They have also accused the TMA Nazim of using official resources in the election campaign of the PML-QA candidate.

City Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema has allegedly introduced the publicity tax to avenge the complaints. The notice was served by one Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali, who claimed to be a TMA contractor for collecting the publicity tax. Candidates are liable to pay Rs200 per square foot of advertisements per week.

Astonishingly, the brother of city Nazim has not been served notice, even though he has flooded NA-83 with his banners, posters, and hoardings.

The PML-QA candidate has installed huge bicycles — his election symbol — in the busiest of places and even on roofs of commercial plazas in violation of election rules as well as Section 137 and 138 of the Publicity Act.

Meanwhile, about a dozen squabbles were reported from various parts of the city, which erupted when TMA employees tried to remove the banners and flags of anti-PML-QA candidates. In two cases the PPP supporters lodged formal complaints with the area police but to no avail.