TOBA TEK SINGH - The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of the ‘pre-poll rigging’ by the rulers who are spending huge amounts on the holding of ‘political’ public meetings.
JI PP-86 candidate Dr Zahid Sattar, Hakim Falaksher, Master Ghulam Hazoor, Muhammad Yousaf and Hanif Jauu said this while addressing a public meeting in Chak 434/JB Fatehpur here the other day.
“As the elections are drawing near, the PPP has also geared up its activities to rig the elections beforehand”, they remarked.
Giving an example of pre-poll rigging, they said that discretionary funds of the prime minister had been increased and recruitments in grade 17 were being made for postings in the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department. “These vacancies fall in the purview of the Public Service Commission, but the government was making recruitment through departmental committee only to oblige jialas and influence the elections”, he observed, adding that the PPP’s advertisement campaign implying official resources was yet another facet of its pre-poll rigging.
“The Supreme Court and the ECP should take notice of these irregularities”, they affirmed.
The JI leaders accused the PPP of doing nothing for the poor in its five year tenure. “roti, kapra aur makan” still remains a dream for the poor in this country”, they added. The PPP, they alleged, did nothing except promoting corruption and unemployment besides adding to the miseries of the common man through massive loadshedding and price hike.
“Now as the elections are round the corner, the government has started distributing jobs among jialas. But such tactics are not going to save it from the disgraceful defeat in up coming polls”, they maintained.
Lawyers strike:  The members of District Bar Association will observe strike on Tuesday (today) till Feb 15 to press the government accept the demand for Lahore High Court Bench in Faisalabad.
According to press statement issued here, former PbBC Member M Afzal said that if demand was not accepted by Feb 15, lawyers would lock the courts.