ECP continues scrutiny of candidates: 2,368 found defaulters of millions of rupees of various depts

ISLAMABAD: The process of the scrutiny of nomination papers, filed by the candidates to contest general elections 2018, is underway across Pakistan on Wednesday, while 2,368 candidates were found defaulters of hundreds of millions of rupees of different departments.

As the process of scrutiny continues, details of irregularities by a former chief minister and federal ministers and senior ministers are surfacing, which can potentially impede their run for the electoral race. Scores of them are defaulters of banks and other utility agencies. Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Pervez Khattak of PTI and Awami National Party (ANP) leader Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, who served as federal minister for railways during previous PPP government are defaulters of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), the gas company has found during its scrutiny of candidates

The report in this regard, compiled by the SNGPL and sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), states that hundreds of millions of rupees are payable by scores of aspiring elected people representatives. And, interestingly, several of these own CNG stations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

The biggest defaulter in the list is reportedly Amjad Khan Afridi, a former MPA of the PTI. He owes Rs216,295,485 to SNGPL. Haji Bilour owes Rs144,670,715, whereas the outstanding amount against Pervaiz Khattak stands at Rs106,575,071 in one case and Rs82,422,320 in another.

Similarly, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, the former minister for Religious Affairs, is also on the SNGPL defaulters list, who has to pay a smaller amount of Rs31,500 to the gas company. Senior politician Tehmina Daultana, Mehmoodur Rashid and Ghulam Rasool Koreja are also among the defaulters.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday sent back details of over 17,000 candidates to the concerned returning officers (ROs) while another 2,846 candidates’ details are awaited from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

According to a spokesperson of the ECP, all data would be delivered back to the returning officers by Wednesday night for further action.

Already, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) singled out well over 100 candidates and declared their particulars entered on their poll nomination papers as extremely dubious. The bank is expected to share details of more defaulters within 24 hours.

PTCL has also sent list of more than 2000 defaulters, who include Faisal Kareem Kundi, Murad Saeed, Abdul Aleem Khan, Manzoor Wattoo, Uzma Bokhari, Mir Zafarullah Jamali and Rana Tanvir.