The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday suspended Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz’s electricity relief package “Roshan Gharana Programme” which offers free electricity to households that consume up to 100 units till July 17.
Hamza had announced earlier this week that the provincial government will bear the power cost of households that consume up to 100 units of electricity in a month.
However, a three-member bench of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja issued a stay order against the implementation over the CM’s announcement after hearing arguments from the Punjab chief minister in today’s hearing.
The hearing was held after the Commission issued a notice to Hamza, seeking his reply for the alleged violation of the electoral code of conduct by announcing free electricity for a specific group of consumers in the province ahead of the by-elections slated to be held on July 17.
The electoral watchdog had sought a reply from the provincial chief executive on July 7.
The reply submitted by Hamza’s counsel stated that the CM’s relief package is only for the constituencies where by-polls are not being held.
The relief package, announced just a few days ahead of the by-elections on 20 provincial assembly seats in Punjab, was criticised by the PTI, which had sought the apex court’s intervention into the matter as well.
In the notice over violation of the code of conduct for the electoral exercise, the ECP had asked Hamza Shahbaz to appear before it in person or through his counsel on July 7.
The notice read: “Take notice and be informed that the Election Commission of Pakistan has announced a schedule for by-elections in 20 constituencies of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab and the poll is scheduled to be held on July 17.”
It said the commission had issued a code of conduct on May 25 to provide a level-playing field to all the contesting candidates and political parties. Directives were issued also that no government functionary or elected representative, including a local government functionary or elected representative, shall announce any development scheme for the constituencies, where by-elections are under process till July 17.
Roshan Gharana Programme
The relief programme supposed to benefit an estimated nine million poor families, about half of the population of the province, had been announced by the Punjab chief minister while speaking at a press conference on Monday.
The chief minister had termed it the largest relief package in the history of Pakistan for providing relief to the downtrodden, saying that free electricity would be provided to all the consumers of the province using up to 100 units a month.
About half of the population of the province will be provided free electricity from this month and the Punjab government will pay their bills in August.
