ECP warns against uplift schemes to influence LB polls By Mumtaz Alvi

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Friday cautioned against announcement of new public schemes and funds release, saying the violators will be strictly dealt with by it.
The ECP pointed out that several newspapers had reported that public funds were being announced and released by the governments of Punjab and Sindh, which might result in influencing the voters of local government elections in these provinces. The electoral body, in its statement issued Friday, reminded the stake-holders that this practice was in violation of the code of conduct, it had released on August 26. The ECP reiterated that no development scheme should be announced for political gains by the provincial governments after the announcement of the election schedule for the local government elections in Punjab and Sindh.
It has already been declared by the Election Commission that the code of conduct should be constructed as per its directive.
Meanwhile, in an unexpected slip of tongue, the ruling PML-N leader and minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar uttered that corruption should be across the board and “we will support it”.
Before this sentence, he said, “We shall neither support corruption nor justify it” while replying to a question about corruption and the PML-N’s stance thereon.
This situation arose when he along with Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah talked to media persons following their meeting with the ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad and some other senior officials here.
About their meeting with the ECP officials, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Punjab government was ready for the local bodies elections but he emphasised that the Election Commission should extend the date of submitting party tickets – its final date is September 11.
The minister contended that the upcoming local bodies election in Punjab would not be messy, as these were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He also insisted that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan would not be allowed to escape from the electoral exercise in Pakistan’s largest province.
The Election Commission has also maintained that no fresh request for change of district returning officer, returning officer or assistant returning officer will be entertained.