RAWALPINDI, Feb 10: The election campaign of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is in full swing as additional funds worth millions of rupees are being released for development projects as last-ditch attempts to win over constituents in Rawalpindi.

On Thursday, it was revealed that the Punjab government has released funds to the tune of Rs100 million for development projects in the constituencies of Capt (retired) Mohammad Safdar, the son-in-law of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the opposition leader in the National Assembly.

However, as our investigations reveal the local residents will not be won over easily by such belated measures by the PML-N as the absence of both politicians from their constituencies for several years was jarring. Moreover, the unexpected and disproportionate dispensation of funds among legislators from PML-N has also led to the creations of rifts, with elected legislators from the party on and off the record expressing their discontent.

In all Rawalpindi district has 14 MPAs and six MNAs. Of these, 11 MPAs and six MNAs belong to the PML-N, two MPAs to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and one to the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

In a meeting of the Rawalpindi District Development Committee on Thursday, it was decided that Rs44 million out of Rs100 million will be spent on two constituencies of NA-52 and NA-53, while NA-53 will get an additional Rs3 million worth of development schemes for areas of Taxila tehsil from the MNA package. Meanwhile, all other constituencies of Rawalpindi were only allotted Rs3 million worth of uplift schemes and that too for construction of sewerage and drains.

Sources added that the provincial government has issued a special directive to the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) to ensure that development work commenced in Chaudhry Nisar’s constituency (NA-53) by the end of this month.

“The funds to the two members of the National Assembly have been provided as a special grant,” a source revealed.

A quick survey of the constituencies though reveals that these measures would not be able to win residents over as both MNAs had failed to start major development work despite having adequate funds available to them.

“Chaudhry Nisar rarely visits Taxila or the adjoining union councils as he is too preoccupied in Lahore and Islamabad,” complained Amjad Khan, a trader near Taxila Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

He added: “It’s only been in the last two months that the MNA has visited the constituency and arranged public meetings to announce the construction of roads and streets and other development work.”

Similar was the reaction to Captain Safdar’s obvious non-involvement in NA-52. “We have not seen MNA Mohammad Safdar for the last few years,” said Mohammad Iqbal, a resident of Rehmatabad near Chaklala Scheme-III.

“Leaders of other parties come to the area to offer funeral prayers for their voters and even on marriage ceremonies. For the common people, it is enough if the MNA comes for condolence. However, he was missing from the public sphere altogether.”

Another voter of NA-52, Abdul Rasheed of Dhoke Chaudhrian at Bostan Khan Road Union Council Kotha Kalan also expressed his dissatisfaction: “The gas load-shedding has increased in the area. The local residents arranged and staged a protest but no ‘elected’ representative came to visit them.”

As if that was not enough, the highly disproportionate allocation of aid has led to rifts appearing within the PML-N.

PML-N MPA Sheharyar Riaz while talking to Dawn said: “We are getting less grants from the provincial government compared to the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly. The provincial government had approved a project to upgrade 10 dispensaries worth Rs10 million in the city to facilitate the poor last year but the funds have not been released.”

MPA Riaz complained that all development work in the district commenced after the approval of Nisar Ali Khan. “All the MNAs and MPAs worked hard to get funds from the provincial government for starting Rawalpindi’s first Cardiology Institute but the credit went to one new-comer (Hanif Abbasi) in the party,” he added.

Another elected representative from the PML-N on the condition of anonymity claimed that because of this policy NA-54 and NA-55 (the main city and cantonment areas of Rawalpindi) have been ignored, which has created problems for local leaders who have been unable to redress the problems of their voters.

The PML-N legislator pointed out that densely populated areas such as Raja Bazaar and the neighbourhoods in its vicinity have not seen much development. “Local MNAs and MPAs proposed Marrir Chowk Tunnel but the funds were not released,” he said.

Given the intra-party differences, there must then be truth to the accusations from opposition parties in the Punjab government of bias leading to delays in release of funds.

The most common complaint is indeed that while MPAs and MNAs of the ruling party get development funds regularly, opposition MPAs were not receiving development funds at all.

“I have not received a single penny during last four years for the development of my constituency PP-7,” claimed MPA Mohammad Shafique Khan of the PML-Q. “I defeated Chaudhry Nisar’s man in general elections and to avenge that he did not allow the PML-N government to release development funds.”

On his part, when contacted, District Coordination Officer Saqib Zafar said that the release of funds for two constituencies was not unusual as the government had provided funds to other legislators also.

“Chandni Chowk Flyover and Cardiology Institute projects have been started in NA-56, and the government will also start some major projects in NA-54 area such as the expansion of Peshawar Road and underpasses,” he claimed.