The political parties have found another tricky way to provide transport facility to its voters – three wheeler rickshaws and rapidly growing chingchis – after the Election Commission of Pakistan barred the parties from providing ferry services to the voters.
Public transports on major city roads remained off as the transporters avoided to bring their vehicles out on the roads fearing they might be taken into custody by the police.
The political parties have hired more than 3,000 rickshaws and bike-fitted chingchis to ferry the voters to polling stations, sources in the transport sector told Pakistan Today.
“Each rickshaw driver has been given Rs 2,000 in advance and they would also be provided with meal,” a transporter requesting anonymity told Pakistan Today. However, he rejected the impression that the public transport was booked by political parties for ferrying the voters.
Clause 18 of the Code of Conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan on January 28, 2013, clearly states: “Political parties, contesting candidates and their supporters shall not use any vehicle to transparent to or from the polling station any elector except himself and members of his immediate family”.
While talking to Pakistan Today, Karachi Transport Ittehad senior joint secretary Mohammad Ilyas said police were impounding their vehicles for the last two days and extorted Rs 500 from each driver.
“The police have been using the name of the election commission saying these buses would be used for election duty, however, senior authorities of the police denied such orders,” Ilyas added.
“The administration of South district has hired at least 200 vehicles from the Karachi Transport Ittehad (KTI) that included 170 minibuses and 30 coaches. These buses have been parked outside the city courts under the direct supervision of returning officers (RO),” he said.
Moreover, the KTI leader stated, they had been paid 20 percent advance payment of these vehicles by the returning officers.
It is pertinent to add that the South district comprised important constituencies such as NA 248, NA 249, NA 250 and NA 251.
Pakistan Today repeatedly tried to seek official version from Deputy Director Najeeb, however, his cell phone remained switched off till filing of this report.
