PPP senator accuses Centre, KP of using official resources

NA-4 by-election

PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) provincial information secretary Senator Rubina Khalid has said that the federal and provincial governments are using government resources for success of their candidates in the by-election on NA-4.

Speaking at a news conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday, she asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of the ongoing violation of election rules and regulations. She alleged that both the federal and provincial governments were involved in pre-poll rigging.

Rubina Khalid said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would visit Peshawar on Sunday and address workers at Zangali for which all the arrangements had been finalised.

She said that despite the clear directives of the Election Commission, both the federal and provincial governments were announcing development projects in NA-4. She said it was the right of the people to get development projects but such announcements were the violation of the election rules and the commission should take notice of it.

Senator Rubina Khalid said that the prime minister’s advisor, Amir Muqam, and provincial Minister Shah Farman were running election campaign for their respective parties’ candidates.

She said the provincial government led by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was providing solar systems to all mosques in NA-4, adding that the government was using even mosques for their political purposes.

Similarly, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq held Khatam-e-Nabuwwat Conference and sought votes for his party’s candidate. She believed that women workers, campaigning for their candidates, were being harassed.

The PML-N and PTI workers were involved in the harassment of women workers but she vowed to face her political opponents, she added.She expressed satisfaction at the holding of by-election under the supervision of Pakistan Army. The PPP leader Nighat Orakzai and Gohar Inqilabi were also present.