Local body elections in NWFP: PML district heads to get Rs 20m

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League has devised a strategy to boost the party across the country by allocating Rs 20 million to each district to be utilized by the party’s district presidents.

PML Secretary General Syed Mushahid Hussain made this announcement at a party’s convention on Saturday. All 24 district presidents complained that the ruling party would face problems during the forthcoming local government elections and general polls in 2007 if the federal government made no special arrangements for development in their respective districts. “The prime minister (Shaukat Aziz) has decided to allocate Rs 20 million to each district where PML candidates lost the National Assembly elections (in 2002),” Mushahid told the convention after Frontier district presidents complained that the central party leadership had ignored the province.

Karak district president Ayub Khattak warned: “Let me make it clear the party cannot make a clean sweep in the local bodies elections under the present circumstances.” He said lack of interest by the central party leadership coupled with lack of funds would make it difficult for the PML to win a maximum number of seats.

Mushahid did not elaborate on whether the sum for the party’s promotion at district level would be given from the party’s fund or taxpayers’ money. It was the first party convention after Federal Minister of State for Water and Power Amir Muqaam’s appointment as president of the PML’s NWFP chapter.

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