KP CM, relatives campaigning for PTI

PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and his close relatives are actively involved in campaigning for party candidates contesting the local government election in his hometown Nowshera where they held corner meetings and announced development projects to support their contenders.
According to reliable sources, the chief minister held regular meetings at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar or in Manki Sharif in Nowshera with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s tehsil and district council candidates from Nowshera.
“After holding meetings and discussing election strategy with the chief minister, the PTI candidates make tall claims about development schemes during their election campaign and public meetings,” said Zahoor Kakakhel, a candidate for district council seat from Ziarat Kaka Sahib Union Council, Nowshera.
He said the brother of the chief minister, who was also a candidate for district council from Manki Sharif Union Council, had announced development projects including construction of streets, repair of roads and installation of tube-wells in Ziarat Kaka Sahib.
“Liaqat Khattak being the brother of chief minister issues directives to the concerned departments for early completion of the projects,” said Hayat Sher, a candidate for general councillor seat in village council Spin Kaney in Ziarat Kaka Sahib.
He added that he was not against development schemes in his area, but the public funds should not be used in favour of ruling party candidates.
“The Election Commission should take notice of the pre-poll rigging, particularly in Nowshera where the provincial government is using state machinery to drum up support for the PTI candidates,” he maintained.
MNA Dr Imran Khattak, who is the nephew and son-in-law of the chief minister, during a public meeting in Kheshgi Payan Union Council the other day announced to initiate development projects and replace faulty transformers and electricity poles in the village.
“Dr Imran Khattak has not visited our village after being elected to the National Assembly in the by-election, but he is now campaigning for party candidates by launching uplift schemes and making promises about providing jobs,” said Mohammad Khalid, a candidate for tehsil council seat from Kheshgi Payan Union Council.
He added Chief Minister Pervez Khattak visited the residence of some PTI leaders in the village in a bid to convince disgruntled party workers to withdraw in favour of party candidates.
In Kheshgi Payan and Bala union councils, it is alleged that the chief minister awarded tickets to his close friends for local government election and ignored genuine party workers who were now contesting the polls as independent candidates.
“Ashraf Nawaz Khan, an office-bearer of the Insaf Youth Wing, Nowshera district, was ignored and the ticket was awarded to a staunch activist of Pakistan People’s Party to run for district council seat because he was a close friend of the chief minister,” a PTI worker alleged. The video clip of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai on the social media has exposed the provincial ministers, who wanted to elect their near and dear ones in the May 30 local government elections.
In the video, the minister is seen talking on phone and says that this election is a matter of honour for his family as they aimed at to get their candidates elected at any cost.
When contacted on phone, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani said that the chief minister and all provincial ministers were strictly following the Election Commission rules and regulations regarding local government polls in the province.
“Even the PTI’s chief Imran Khan has postponed his scheduled public meetings to abide by the Election Commission’s code of conduct,” he said, adding, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had also directed party candidates not to utilise government funds or machinery in election campaign.
However, he said the provincial government was not responsible for the act of an individual in the election campaign.