News
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Taseer warns against horse-trading in Punjab
* Governor says provincial admin will not be allowed to use state resources ahead of presidential poll
* PPP will not pull out of coalition in PunjabStaff Report
LAHORE: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer has said he will not tolerate the use of provincial administration for horse-trading ahead of the September 6 presidential election. Addressing a press conference at the Governor’s House on Tuesday, he said the provincial administration would not be allowed to use state resources for campaigning, because election of the president was different from that of a district nazim. Taseer said he had summoned the provincial chief secretary and the inspector general of Punjab Police to his office and had warned them against allowing the creation of circumstances for horse-trading like the “Chhaanga Maanga of 1988”. He said he would not allow creation of various blocs within political parties. The governor said the PPP had a set an example by allowing a minority party to form government in Punjab, and that the Punjab Assembly would complete its five-year tenure, as neither he nor the chief minister would dissolve it. Coalition in Punjab: He said it was the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz that had left the ruling alliance in the Centre, and that as such the PPP would not pull out of the coalition in Punjab. The governor said things would get clear in the next two days. He denied running Zardari’s presidential campaign in Punjab.
Courtesy DailyTimes