Karachi: The powerful political parties have been making mockery of the expenditure limit for the candidates set by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), as they are spending millions of rupees daily on their lavish poll campaigns under the nose of the caretaker government as well as seemingly toothless election commission officials, said Pasban e Pakistan President Altaf Shakoor.
Addressing a protest demo held in front of the Provincial Election Commission office here against the blatant violation of the poll campaigning expenditure limit set by the ECP, he said all big political parties and alliances including the PML-N, PTI, PPP and MMA have launched mega poll campaigning drives in the constituencies of their respective candidates. He said millions of rupees are being spent daily on their meetings, food, party flags, hoardings, posters and trucks blaring party songs on loud speakers. He said this situation has put a big question mark on the powers as well impartiality of the caretaker government and election commission of Pakistan. He said the corruption star studded political parties and alliances could easily afford these lavish expenditures due to their countless black money, but the small parties and independent candidates are facing huge disadvantage due to lack of a level playing field. He said this is a sheer violation of ECP rules and a blatant pre-polls rigging. He said if this rigging continued the same corrupt electable once again will easily occupy the seats of our parliament and again loot and plunder this poor nation. He said these corrupt politicians do not worry about their lavish election expenses because they consider it their investment and they would earn 100 times more through corruption, commission and kickbacks once they reach the parliament. He said the common man is worried about this dirty political game which would again push them into the slavery of these corrupt people elected through this malpractice for next five years. Altaf Shakoor said contesting election under this circumstance is almost impossible for the small political parties and honest people. He demanded of the caretaker government and election commission of Pakistan to stop this farce and implement strictly the expenditure limit of candidates on their poll campaigns and disqualify the candidates who have already crossed this limit. He said now it is the time to reject the corruption mafia people for the sake of our coming generations. He said the Pasban is the party of working class people who are not involved in any type of corruption. He said the Pasban has a long proven track record of service of Karachi and Karachiites, adding we are fighting this election under the slogan of megacity status for Karachi. He hoped that the citizens of the megacity would warmly welcome the Pasban candidates and give vote to them for enabling them to serve the megacity in a better manner.
