MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) code of conduct is being violated in by-elections in PP-196.

He said this while talking to the media after submitting objections regarding violation of the code. The by-election is going to be held on May 21.

He said a directive had been issued by the chief minister’s secretariat through which a committee was constituted for development work in the constituency.

“A turncoat, Akhtar Bhutta, has been made chairman of the committee, while Chaudhry Abdul Waheed Arain, Rana Mehmoodul Hassan (the PML-N candidate), the district coordination officer, city police officer (CPO), tehsil municipal officer and others are members of the committee and have been directed by the chief minister to spend development funds on recommendations of the committee,” he added.

Qureshi requested the ECP to summon him as a complainant and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif over issuance of the directive. He said on an application of the PTI, the ECP suspended transfer of the CPO but he was sent on a forced leave, which was also a violation of the commission’s rules.

He claimed the PML-N candidate’s brothers-in-law Rana Zaheeruddin Babar, a police inspector, and Saifullah, an employee of the Multan Electric Power Company, were running a campaign for him by using official authority and pressurising voters.

“The ECP should take action and suspend them,” Qureshi demanded.

He also said the ECP had accepted the PTI’s request to deploy Rangers on election day.

Agriculture sector responsibility of provinces

Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan said after the 18th Constitutional Amendment it was the responsibility of the provinces to emphasise on the agriculture sector for its progress.

He said this while addressing at a seminar jointly organised by USAID Enabling Environment Project and the Department of Plant Protection.

“Before the 18th Amendment, Rs32 billion were allocated for the agriculture sector but now this amount is being distributed among provinces. It is the responsibility of the provincial governments to lay emphasis on this sector for its progress,” he added.

Bosan claimed last year the facility of hot water treatment was not available, but this year 29 plants would be available to provide the facility to mango growers. He also claimed that this year record export of citrus had been achieved that crossed 300,000 tonnes, which was 225,000 tonnes last year, but unfortunately farmers were not benefitting from this increase. He added that this year’s tomato production was 3.8 million tonnes and 0.3 million tonnes were exported only from Punjab.

“But unfortunately in tomato export also, the benefit could not trickle down to farmers and one can easily estimate the power of a middleman in the country,” he said.

Bosan said small farmers constituted 97pc of growers and the real challenge was to facilitate them.

“Small farmers will only be able to continue farming if the government and private sector facilitated them,” he added.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2015

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