ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has declared the Kisan package announced by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on September 15 as a violation of code of conduct, and asked the government not to implement it till December 3.
On September 15, the prime minister while addressing the Kisan convention in Islamabad announced a big relief package of about Rs341 billion for the farmers.
The package envisages direct cash assistance to the farmers, relief in prices of agriculture inputs, provision of agriculture loans and simplifying the procedure of loans.
However, the political parties including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) rejected the package.
The PTI Chairman Imran Khan termed the Kisan package as a pre-poll rigging by the ruling government as it was announced just days before the by-elections in Punjab. He questioned that why the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led federal government did not announce the agriculture package in the June budget.
The ruling PML-N government in Punjab and the opposition PTI will come face to face on October 11 by election in NA-122 Lahore where their candidates Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Aleem Khan will compete for the National Assembly seat.
