—Development projects begin in the constituency before by-elections
LAHORE: The wheel of fortune has turned on NA-120, the home constituency of Sharif brothers where electioneering for by-elections is in full swing.
Efforts are being made to improve bumpy roads, pathetic sanitation conditions, dried up water tapes and dilapidated buildings of educational facilities and medical dispensaries in the constituency.
The staff of the City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has started covering poles, loose and live wires dangling on streets and roads in Mozang and adjoining areas.
The jumbles of live electric wires on the streets and roads were the biggest problem of the constituency. It has been learned that the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO) has received orders from top WAPDA authorities to remove or cover the electricity cables and wires hanging on roads and streets within the next week in all areas of NA-120.
A source in the Finance Department confirmed the release of massive funds for NA-120. “Massive funds for uplift schemes in NA-120 were released soon after the Supreme Court verdict”, he said.
When he was asked to tell the figure, he told Pakistan Today: “The funds released are beyond someone’s imagination.”
He refused to disclose the exact amount. However, he said the amount was over Rs 1 billion.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced by-polls on NA-120 constituency for September 17.
The seat was left vacant following Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification from public office. The ECP de-notified Nawaz on July 28 as a member of the National Assembly.
The Supreme Court had ruled that the prime minister failed to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nomination papers for the 2013 elections, saying that this meant he was not ‘honest’ and ‘truthful’, as per the Constitution.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has fielded Dr Yasmin Rashid for by-elections, who lost the previous election to Nawaz Sharif in the same constituency. It is most likely that Shehbaz Sharif will be contesting the by-elections for NA-120 against Dr Yasmin Rashid.
Dr Yasmin Rashid termed start of development projects before by-elections as pre-poll rigging.
“Ministers are running campaigns. Bilal Yasin (Food Minister) can be seen openly running campaign despite the fact he is not allowed to do so under rules of the Election Commission of Pakistan. They have started development schemes in the name of the election campaign. Provincial ministers are performing duty as personal servants of Shehbaz Sharif in NA-120,” she said.
“You can just look pathetic condition of streets just outside the house of Bilal Yasin. He has done nothing in the last four years. Now, suddenly, he has started all kinds of development projects,” she added. “Bilal Yasin and Majid Zahoor are leading front role in NA-120,” she said, adding, “Originality of NA-120 can be checked on the backside of Data Darbar and Bund Park where there are zero civic amenities for poor voters.”
“PML-N believes in rigging for last 30 years. They are repeating the same by launching uplift schemes in the constituency,” she concluded.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday barred Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif from taking part in his own poll campaign for a by-election to NA-120.
According to the code of conduct, all these public office-holders, including the Punjab chief minister, who is a potential candidate for the by-election to NA-120, have been restrained from visiting the constituency or a polling station after the issuance of the poll schedule. It warned that legal action would be taken under Section 103A of the Representation of the Peoples Act 1976, relating to contempt proceedings against any individual found in violation of the rules.
However, observers wondered how the holder of a public office could be barred from taking part in his own election campaign even though the law permitted a legislator to contest election for another house without tendering resignation. They said that the code of conduct would confuse the returning officer even more than it did the ECP.
