ISLAMABAD: The Roshan Gharana subsidy initiative by the Punjab government has been suspended by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ECP Sikandar Sultan Raja issued the directives. The verdict added that the programme could be re-launched once the elections were concluded.
During the hearing, CEC said that they wanted a transparent election as it would impact the provincial government’s formation. Hamza claimed that the subsidy programme was part of the provincial budget. He added that the package was not announced for 20 constituencies and aimed to serve the entire province.
The counsel of Hamza also tried to defend him. He said that if a package was announced for a particular constituency, only then it could be called a violation. However, the CEC replied that there was no need for a separate press conference to announce the programme if it was a part of budget 2022-23.