Increase in PM’s fund meant to rig polls: Sherpao

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Aftab Sherpao said on Saturday the increase in the prime minister’s discretionary funds was an attempt to manipulate the upcoming election and asked the chief election commissioner to take notice of this pre-poll rigging.

Addressing a press conference at his residence in Hayatabad, he criticised the use of funds from the national exchequer and said the use of government resources should be checked by the election commissioner to ensure free, fair and transparent election. He said the government needs to create conducive atmosphere for the polls.

About Tahirul Qadri’s planned ‘long march’ to Islamabad, Sherpao said he still hasn’t understood as to what Qadri wanted. He said politicians coming from feudal background could only be voted out through elections.

The QWP chief said the government’s five-year tenure was expiring on March 16 this year and any effort to topple it before that time would be unconstitutional and undemocratic.

He said security situation had worsened in the province due to the incompetence of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. Referring to the statement of the provincial government’s spokesman that terrorism had spiked to an alarming level, he said this was admission of the fact that the terrorists had grown so strong that they could target any place.

He said the government should seriously take measures to protect the people.

Sherpao termed Bashir Bilour’s assassination a tragic incident and said the government should admit that it had failed to protect people’s lives instead of lying to the people.

He said the suicide bomber’s entry into the thickly-populated Dhaki Naalbandi in Peshawar to attack Bashir Bilour was a serious security lapse and, therefore, alarming.

Before the press conference, Khalid Khan Mohmand of Charsadda district along with his supporters announced joining the QWP.

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