LAHORE - Although PML-N Punjab government has announced to hold the upcoming local bodies’ elections on non-party basis, the ruling party is pursuing the procedure of party-based elections.
Like in the general elections when aspirants of contesting elections are asked for party funds along with application for candidacy, the PML-N in Punjab has asked party aspirants of LB polls to pay the party in different ratios. This has perturbed many former nazims and deputy nazims who claimed they have been asked to furnish Rs10,000 for chairman, Rs5,000 for vice chairman and Rs1,000 for councilor contests. This has caused resentment among the election aspirants who say it reflects the level of greed and meanness of the party managers. PML-N City President, MNA Muhammad Pervez Malik, denied that the aspirants have been asked to pay the fund under duress but said it was a kind of ‘donation’ which every party relieves from its workers to run the party affairs. The polls aspirants have also been asked to submit filled out survey forms, given to them by the party to know about their background, suitability for the position concerned and general reputation etc. Admitting the requiring of survey forms by the party, Malik said they were just to know the character of the election aspirants and assess their potential to serve the masses. Even then, he claimed that law was being ‘strictly adhered to’ in the matters relating to the LB elections.