FAISALABAD - Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said that the Punjab government rigged the recently held by-elections on a massive scale, and it will be a matter of concern if the Election Commission did not take notice of these massive irregularities.
Addressing a public meeting here in Samundri on Sunday, the former chief minister claimed that the PML-Q would stun the opponent by give surprising results in the next general elections and it would make a clean sweep across the country.
The Deputy PM said by-elections in Punjab were openly rigged and lawlessness marred the polling process. The media reported that turnout was miserable but fake votes were polled through teachers, patwaries and Thanidars, he said and added that he personally contacted Chief Election Commissioner Fakharuddin G Ibrahim but no action had been taken so for.
Pervaiz Elahi said, "It seems that the PML-N and the Punjab government have hijacked the election commission." He announced that this situation would be reversed during the upcoming general elections when the PML-N would have no support of the establishment.
He said the PML-Q would dominate in the general elections because of its excellent public service. He alleged that the PML-N was victimizing political opponents and said that five fake cases had been registered against Khalid Mehmood Nabi but he was still steadfast and would stand with the PML-Q in all odds.
The Deputy PM also narrated the performance of his government in Punjab and said that the focus of his development strategy was in the whole Punjab and its people.
He said during his chief ministership a road with cost of Rs 1.4 billion was completed in Samundri. Similarly, sui gas was provided, bypass with Rs700 million was completed in addition to the launch of Rescue 1122 service. He said that his government gave scholarship to 1.1 million students and free books were also provided to 20 million school children in addition to the construction of new schools, colleges and universities. He lamented that 400 schools in only Faisalabad district had been closed. He said road constructed by his government had been taxed to extort money from people and announced that his government would again come to power and would withdraw all these taxes and levies.
Pervaiz Elahi termed the Sharifs as anti-worker and anti-farmer and said that they had two sugar mills in this region that failed to make payment of sugarcane purchased from farmers during the last year. He added that funds from south Punjab, Faisalabad and Samundri had been diverted to Lahore. He named Metro Bus Service as "Jangla bus Service" and said it was aimed at facilitating only elite class.
He asked the Sharifs to have pity on people of Punjab by discarding so-called and failed schemes like Yellow Cab, Ashiana, Sasti Roti, Mechanical tandoors and Jangla Bus Service.
The former CM challenged Nawaz Sharif to conduct an impartial survey regarding development projects launched during his period and those initiated by Shahbaz Sharif in Punjab.
The PML-Q leader said that his government left Punjab with surplus budget of Rs100 billion but now the same province had been bankrupt and it was crumbling under heavy loans of Rs500 billion. Earlier, Sunni Ittehad Council Chief Sahibzada Fazl Karim said that they would make Pakistan chairman of OIC so that Islamic forces could be strengthened to fight terrorism.
On the occasion, Ch Pervaiz Elahi announced the establishment of passport office at Samundri and provision of gas to villages of the tehsil.