Government utilising taxpayers' money for election campaign: Javed Hashmi

PTI central leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi on Thursday alleged that the government is utilising the taxpayers' money for early election campaign and claimed that applications for getting the laptops were sought through the SMS number (80011) in use of the PML-N for its membership campaign. He made these accusations and claims while talking to the media at a reception held in his honour by party leaders here today.
He alleged that PPP-led Federal Government had become the worst government by committing Rs 200 billion's corruption. PTI central spokesman expressed the fear that the parties ruling the Federation and provinces would dole out state funds in the forthcoming elections to win over voters. He added that the provincial governments would be more instrumental in rigging the polls as they control the police, revenue and education departments whose officials used to be deployed on various duties during elections. Shafqat said that a neutral set-up was necessary for ensuring fair and free polls, which would halt use of state funds for publicity campaigns of certain parties. He said that PTI would move to the higher courts to put in place a caretaker government of national consensus. Responding to a query, he said that PTI is not being taken into confidence in the talks between the PPP and the PML-N on caretaker setup. He alleged that the two parties, like in the past, would strike a deal on the 20th Amendment to monopolies their control on power corridors.
Meanwhile, PTI leader, Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, said that the government has failed to respond to the Transparency International Report so far, which raised several questions over the claims of government regarding no corruption and good governance in the current setup. He alleged that Federal Board of Revenue has been turned into a den of corruption instead of expanding the tax net.