KARACHI: Rejection of appeals pre-poll rigging: PPP
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 14: The President of the Pakistan People’s Party, Sindh, Nisar Khuhro, declared here on Saturday that the rejection of his electoral appeal was part of the regime’s pre-election rigging plan and he was planning to challenge it through a petition with the Sindh High Court.
Speaking at a news conference, he alleged he had been denied the right to represent the people because he was doing opposition politics and was challenging the regime’s policies.
Mr Khuhro, whose nomination papers were rejected on account of his being a defaulter, denied that he had taken any loan. He said the loan was taken by a company. Earlier, he paid Rs800,000 on behalf of his daughter. While the appeal against the rejection of his nomination papers was filed, the company also cleared the remaining Rs1,900,000. In addition, he said more than Rs one million were paid to the bank as loan repayment.
He posed a question that if he was a defaulter, then how was he allowed to contest in the 1993 and 97 elections.
He alleged there was a different yardstick for the “King’s Party” candidates, and referred to the law which said that those had taken more than Rs two million credit and either defaulted or got it written off could not contest elections. In this context, he referred to loans obtained by Chaudhry Shujaat and other members of his family which were subsequently got written off.
“How is it that those who had taken Rs22.79 million credit for Punjab Sugar Mills and got it written off are allowed to contest, and I, with zero outstanding balance, am being denied the right to represent the people,” said Mr Khuhro.
In this context, he also mentioned Ilahi Bux Soomro’s name.
Referring to the regime’s “double standards,” he said Makhdoom Shahnawaz’s nomination papers were initially rejected, but after filing appeal when he cleared his outstanding balance, his candidature was restored.
He declared that neither he nor his party would be deterred from the resolve to challenge the anti-people policies of the regime.
Mr Khuhro pointed out that different rules of the game were being observed in the provinces. He said in Balochistan 85 appeals had been accepted on the production of certificates from Madaris. But in Sindh despite presenting equivalence certificate of the University Grants Commission, appeals had been rejected, he claimed.
He pointed out that Saleem Jan Mazari’s degree of a university, not recognized by the UGC, was accepted, but Pappoo Shah’s degree form the same university was not acceptable.
He alleged the government was deliberately trying to ensure low turnout to establish alienation of the people towards the democratic dispensation, and thus justify its unjust and unrepresentative rule.
Mr Khuhro also announced a programme of mass mobilization, and said on Oct 3, and 4 the PPP would hold major public meetings, one at Karachi and the other in the interior of Sindh.
Before those, public meetings would also be held in every NA constituency. In seven days about 63 such meeting would be organized, he said.
These meeting will be held between Sept 20 and 27, beginning from Ratodero and Shahdadkot, Ubauro and Ghotki (Ghotki), Tando Adam and Shahdadpur, (Sanghar) and Gharo and Thatta city at Thatta on Sept 20 and culminating on Sept 27 in Nawabshah city, Johi, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Mehar.
