Opposition accuses govt of influencing voters

PESHAWAR: The opposition parties have been accusing the government ministers of influencing voters and violating the election code of conduct as electioneering for the local bodies polls is at its peak in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Although the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued notices and warnings to a few ministers and opposition lawmakers including National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar for violation of the election code of conduct, the fresh complaints were made against Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) and spokesman Ikhtiar Wali Khan submitted an application with the district monitoring officer Nowshera seeking action against Pervez Khattak.

In his application, Ikhtiar Wali accused him of influencing voters and even threatening them with dire consequences if they did not vote in favour of his son.

He alleged that Pervez Khattak had been using Gulbat Khan House at Amangarh for holding meetings and blackmailing the voters.

Free and fair elections in Nowshera would not be possible in the presence of the defence minister that is why the election commission should expel him from the district and also take notice of his involvement in duties of the polling staff, said the application, adding social media was flooded with the activities of the federal minister. The Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have also accuse the government of utilizing government machinery in electioneering in Peshawar district.

In their joint press conference the other day, MPA Samar Haroon Bilour and former senator Ghulam Ali alleged that ministers and lawmakers from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were violating the election code of conduct and influencing voters through government machinery.

They appealed to the ECP to take notice of the ministers’ holding of corner meetings and rallies and stop them from luring voters through uplift schemes.

Similarly, a video of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar was also circulated on social media a couple of days ago. In the video, he was seen offering development funds for supporting the PTI candidates and warning the ones not voting for the party nominees. The election commission took notice of the video and called the speaker to the district monitoring (DMO) officer. He was given 15-day notice and verification of the video.

Opposition leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Akram Khan Durrani had also complained of using government resources in the electioneering in his home town Bannu and asked the EC to take notice of election code violation by the ruling party. The blame-game is going on amid election commission’s notices and action against those violating the code of conduct.

Notices and warnings have been issued to ministers and lawmakers from both the government and opposition. Those, who were issued warnings, included provincial minister Kamran Bangash and Member National Assembly (MNA) Fazal Muhammad, Federal Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, provincial minister Anwar Zaib and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar.

From the opposition side, former chief minister and ANP leader Ameer Haider Hoti, MPA Ahmad Karim Kundi and Nighat Orakzai of the PPP and Maulana Lutfur Rahman of the JUIF were also issued notices.

Ali Amin Gandapur, Ahmad Kundi and Maulana Lutfur Rahman were fined Rs50,000, 30,000 and 10,000 respectively. But at the same time election campaign of different political parties and candidates is in full swing as the polling day, December 19, is fast approaching.