‘Corrupt political parties’ can never support electoral reforms: Farrukh

‘Corrupt political parties’ can never support electoral reforms: Farrukh

ISLAMABAD, Dec 8 (APP):Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Wednesday questioned the rationale behind the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s reluctance to hold discussion on use of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) in the elections.

“Bilawal Sahab was talking to reform the local government system, but why he is reluctant to consult [the government] on the use of EVM to make the system transparent,” he said in a news statement issued by his office in response to the PPP chairman’s news conference.

He lashed out at Bilawal Zardari for abstaining from holding consultation on the electoral reforms, crucial to ensure free, fair and transparent polls in the country.
“Corrupt political parties can never support electoral reforms,” the minister remarked and asked the PPP chairman as to why his party passed the local government election law in Sindh in haste and without any consultation with the provincial opposition.

The Sindh government was exploiting the people of the province in connivance with various mafias, he said, adding there had been extreme inflation in Sindh due to corruption of the PPP which was backing hoarders and profiteers.

The PPP was in the government in Sindh for the last 13 years, he said while asking Bilawal to bring to the fore a single major initiative of his government.

He said a 20 kg bag of flour was being sold at Rs 1,400 in Sindh as compared to Punjab where it was available at Rs 1,100. The corrupt rulers of Sindh had devoured wheat worth billions of rupees, but nobody took action against them, he added.

Farrukh said the public sector hospitals were facing severe shortage of ambulances while animals were given shelters in the government schools of Sindh.

The situation on ground negated the towering claims of the Sindh government about spending massive funds in health and education sectors, he added.

He said the Sindh government had left its people at the mercy of hoarders, profiteers, land and tanker mafias. Appointments of blue-eyed people on the basis of fake domiciles were also in the PPP’s credit, he added.

The minister said all the major initiatives including green line and uplift of underprivileged areas in Sindh were taken by the federal government as the provincial government was only indulged in committing corrupt practices.
He said PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz looted the country ruthlessly during their respective tenures.

The corruption was rampant in the Benazir Income Support programme launched by the PPP government in their last tenure at centre, he noted.

Farrukh said under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the country and people had been embarked on path of prosperity and progress.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government was striving to fulfill the mandate given by the people of Pakistan during the last general elections.

Practical measures were being taken to resolve issues of people, he said, adding the PTI government had allocated a sum of Rs260 billion for Ehsaas Programme, under which as many as 34 programs were being run successfully.

APP Services