Not by bread alone: For many former ministers, development didn’t win votes

Despite using parliamentary privileges to receive funds for developmental work in their home constituencies, over 70% former federal ministers were not popular enough to retain their seats following the May 11 polls.

Over 340 lawmakers withdrew around Rs165 billion under the People Works Project (PWP) and some Rs120 billion under the prime minister’s discretionary funds for completing several development schemes in their constituencies during their tenures.
Public accounts auditors said that federal ministers received the greatest chunk of funds from public accounts from among all lawmakers for this purpose. Yet, over 51 ministers out of a cabinet of almost 70 were not re-electe
There are no records by the Cabinet Division to indicate if the funds withdrawn were equal to the funds spent.d.
Officials revealed that an additional sum of Rs156 billion was released to various lawmakers under special directions from former prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, of which the cabinet division had also not maintained a record.