The Concerned Citizens of Pakistan Society (CCP) on Wednesday condemned the government’s hasty move to carve a new province out of Punjab.
CCP President Justice (r) Nasira Javed Iqbal said the federal government’s initiating such a bill before the general elections is a mala fide ploy to gain political mileage in southern Punjab. To make a new province is not like building a house of cards. It requires a great deal of hard work and planning by experts and consensus amongst the citizens and their representatives who should come with such a mandate, she said.
The CCP president also said process of making new provinces should be started by the respective provincial assemblies who are to be elected in the forthcoming elections.
She said contesting parties should provide detailed proposals in their manifestoes as to how they envisage the formation of new provinces. Justice (r) Nasira Iqbal said new provinces should be carved out from different provinces of Pakistan, if such a need exists, and not only from Punjab. Half-baked haphazard efforts to make a new province at this juncture for political gains would facilitate the breakup of Pakistan, she added.
The CCP president said the Election Commission of Pakistan has directed that no developmental funds should be distributed at this stage.
Reportedly, billions of rupees have been diverted to Raja Pervez Ashraf’s constituency. She said these exorbitant amounts would only be used to buy votes and secure his election, adding that the proposed bill coupled with the government’s refusal to freeze development funds close to fresh elections, amounts to pre-poll rigging. It shows government’s intention to influence, delay and maim the impending electoral process, the CCP president said.
She added, “In the interest of free and fair elections, we urge the government to desist from such devious practices. We urge the Election Commission to make it mandatory for every candidate filing nomination papers for election to any legislature to file a complete statement of his/her complete assets and liabilities for the past three years along with verified copies of income tax returns filed over the past three years. The nomination papers of candidates who fail to make such disclosures should be rejected.”
