Pak PM allocates Rs1b each to ruling party Assembly constituencies

Eyeing the next general election, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to arrange around Rs. 300 billion for development schemes at the constituencies of the ruling party's Members of National Assembly (MNA).

The instruction from the Prime Minister came during the ruling party's core meeting, which was attended by the PML-N's senior leadership, including Finance Minister Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif.

During the meeting, Sharif received detailed briefing on how to strengthen the constituencies of party's sitting MNAs across the country, reports Dawn.

Highlighting the importance of constituency politics, the lawmakers urged that the party should focus on Punjab and its 20 constituencies in the rest of the country to ensure its victory.

These leaders were of the opinion that voters of the constituencies might not be attracted by the Prime Minister's mega initiatives if the streets and roads of their neighbourhood were not built.

They urged Sharif to allocate around Rs. one billion to each of the PML-N's National Assembly lawmaker for fiscal year 2016-2017.

They said the same amount should also be given to respective lawmakers in the next fiscal, which will be the last financial year before the 2018 general elections.

The Premier also took the participants onboard on former military ruler General Pervez Mushrraf's exit from the country.