ISLAMABAD - Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, on Wednesday announced to move the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the leaderships of both the ruling parties, the PPP and PML-N, for misusing taxpayers’ money to run their respective parties election campaigns by doling out massive advertisements.
Earlier on January 4, the ECP banned the political parties’ advertisements promoting their publicity campaigns at the cost of national exchequer. The PML-Q leadership in last week also criticised PML-N for promoting its publicity campaign through advertisements using public funds.
However, despite ban on projection of political parties using public money, the PPP government has continuously been running ads on electronic and print media showing President Zardari and his children distributing checks among beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme. The PTI chief announced this on Wednesday after PML-N’s former member of the Punjab Assembly, Sikandar Ali Khan Daultana, and sons of former federal law minister Wasi Zafar, Barrister Umair Wasi Zafar and Chaudhry Waqar Wasi Zafar, announced to join PTI.
A news statement issued here from party’s central office says the PTI will seek action against the federal and Punjab governments for the violation of ECP rules in this regard. “The PTI will submit evidences against both the PPP and PML-N and will seek disciplinary action against both the ruling parties for misusing the taxpayers’ money to run their election campaigns through doling out massive advertisements,” the statement reads.
Imran Khan on the occasion also directed Ishaq Khakwani to collect all relevant data and evidences for the use of taxpayers’ money in launching advertisement campaigns by the PPP and PML-N governments so that a formal compliant could be lodged with the ECP. The new entrant to PTI Sikandar Ali Khan Daultana is a former PML-N MPA and is stated a close aide of PML-N MNA Tehmina Daultana. While, Barrister Umair Wasi Zafar and Chaudhry Waqar Wasi Zafar are the sons of former PML-Q MNA from Faisalabad. Wasi Zafar was holding the portfolio of federal minister for law in Mushrraf’s cabinet.
The joining ceremony was also attended by PTI leaders Jahangir Khan Tareen, Naeem-ul-Haq, Ishaq Khan Khakwani and former MPA from Bahawalnagar Mian Mumtaz Moharwi.
Imran Khan also announced that he would soon launch the second phase of the mass contact drive during which he would address public gatherings in many districts of the country.
Expressing full confidence in the leadership of Imran Khan, the new comers to party vowed to expand the PTI message among the people of Pakistan.
“To create a new Pakistan, the nation would have to rise above all sorts of individual and communal differences to help the country develop further in all fields. Pakistan cannot grow with the forces of status quo, who want to keep the people underdeveloped and illiterate,” Khan added.