The federal government has not released any funds for development projects for its National Assembly members as an incentive to vote against the bill proposed by Naveed Qamar of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) making it illegal for any disqualified individual to become any political party president. This was the outcome of an anecdotal survey carried out by Business Recorder including PML-N MNAs and officials of the Ministry of Finance.
With the exception of Rs 39.2 billion from the Prime Minister's discretionary funds earmarked for politically sensitive development schemes notably achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Prime Minister's Youth Hunarmand Programme, no other development funds have been released by the Prime Minister. Sources further revealed that Rs 30 billion was released for Prime Minister's SDGs while Rs 9.2 billion out of the envisaged total of Rs 20 billion was released under Prime Minister's Youth Hunarmand Programme on November 17, 2017.
Not convinced by government assurances Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has urged the Supreme Court and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take note of the alleged distribution of Rs 200 billion to PML-N MNAs in parliament. Talking to Business Recorder, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab rejected PTI's claim saying no MNA has been given any development fund under the prime minister's discretionary funds which the Supreme Court has already banned.
In a 5 December, 2013 ruling the apex court banned transfer of funds from an account approved by Parliament to another as technical supplementary grant. This ruling curtailed the government's discretionary powers, which are often used to disburse development funds for party MNAs ahead of general elections in the country. Sheikh said that no parliamentarian has been allocated any development funding unless he submits a viable proposal with the signature of 15 people of the concerned area and gets it approved from the local deputy commissioner. Subsequently the concerned ministry prepares a cost estimate for the project, and the project is then approved by the Divisional Development Working Party (DDWP) headed by the respective Commissioner.
He termed the PTI's claim rubbish and said that Rs 20 billion was doled out to the PML-N MNAs by the government or the prime minister, adding this cannot be done unless there is justification as to why such a huge amount was distributed to the MNAs. The Planning Commission, which is now directly controlled by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as minister in charge of planning and development, has acknowledged that Rs 39.2 billion development funds were disbursed on November 17, 2017.
However, according to opposition sources distribution of funds out of the development budget for PML-N members would commence shortly, a usual activity prior to elections in Pakistan. They added that each National Assembly constituency in Punjab would roughly get Rs 100 million to Rs 200 million which would be provided by the federal and Punjab governments.
MNA Sheikh Salahuddin of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) said that the government had not given any development funds to lawmakers of his party despite making the commitment during the last four years. He said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had announced Rs 25 billion development package for Karachi and Rs 5 billion package for Hyderabad during his visit to the city in August this year, but noting has so far been released.