RAWALPINDI, Nov 18: As the elections 2013 approach fast, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led Punjab government is launching more development schemes on the recommendations of its local leaders aspiring for the party tickets.

However, opposition parties here have termed the move pre-poll rigging by the PML-N.Two weeks back, the provincial government provided an amount of Rs130 million to the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) with the direction to launch development schemes in Gujar Khan and Kahuta on the recommendations of former City Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas, Chaudhry Riaz, Iftikhar Warsi, Raja Mohammad Ali and Abdul Hameed Advocate, who are aspirants for the PML-N tickets in the forthcoming elections.

The government had already released Rs800 million to the city government to initiate development schemes in consultation with the elected representatives of the PML-N. There are six MNAs and 14 MPAs in the district who would get a share of Rs40 million each.

Out of the latest Rs130 million, Rs50 million would be spent on schemes identified by Javed Ikhlas, Rs40 million by Chaudhry Riaz and Rs10 million by Iftikhar Warsi in NA-51 Gujar Khan from where Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected as MNA.

Besides, Rs20 million would be spent on projects recommended by Raja Mohammad Ali, son of PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, and Rs10 million by Abdul Hameed Advocate.

A senior PML-N local leader told Dawn that his party wanted to get back the NA-51 seat in Gujar Khan in the next general elections. “The PML-N lost this seat in the 2008 general elections despite winning all other national and provincial assembly seats in the district,” he added.

He said after becoming prime minister, Pervez Ashraf had started mega development programmes in this constituency and PML-N feared that it would be defeated in the constituency again if development work was not initiated in the area.

“The funds had been provided by the provincial government and the CDGR has to follow the directions to launch the schemes identified by the concerned persons nominated by the government,” said Saqib Zafar, the district coordination officer (DCO), while talking to Dawn.

He said the provincial government did not hand over the funds to the nominated people and the latter would only recommend the schemes.

PPP Rawalpindi chapter president Aamir Fida Paracha criticised the Punjab government for spending development funds through unelected people. “The federal government provided funds to all the members of National Assembly without any discrimination. He said the Punjab government did not allocated funds to opposition members from PP-1 and PP-2 in Gujar Khan.

He said on the one hand the PML-N was speaking about democratic norms and on the other it worked against democracy. “It is pre-poll rigging and the election commission should take notice of the issue,” he said.

Jamaat-i-Islam Rawalpindi spokesman Malik Azam said the provincial government was working against democratic norms by starting development projects at the end of its tenure to get maximum votes. “It is the duty of the government to spend development funds on the recommendations of elected people alone,” he said.

Pakistan Tehrik--i-Insaf (PTI) leader and former city district nazim Raja Tariq Kiani also said it was pre-poll rigging. “The government should spend funds on the schemes identified by elected representatives,” he said.

He said the PML-N was in the habit of utilising public funds through its party workers to get maximum support of the people. “But the citizens understand their politics and will not support them in the elections.”

When contacted, PML-N MNA Malik Shakil Awan said the provincial government had launched projects worth billions of rupees in the province. “It is the right of the government to spend development funds where it wants,” he maintained.