THATTA, Oct 9: Seven candidates of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) contesting polls from Thatta on Wednesday blamed the Sindh irrigation minister and the district Nazim, Thatta, for violating election commission’s directives.

The protest was recorded in separate telegrams, sent to the Chief Election Commissioner, the provincial election commission and all relevant returning officers.

The PPP candidates protested over participation of the provincial minister for irrigation, Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi, and his brother, the district Nazim, Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi, in various election rallies in clear violation of election rules.

The signatories to the telegrams, photocopies of which were provided to newsmen, were: the candidate for NA-237 (Thatta- I), Dr Abdul Wahid Soomro, the candidate for NA-238 (Thatta-II), Arbab Wazir Ahmed Memon, candidate for PS-84, Babu Ghulam Hussain, the candidate for PS-85, Sassui Palejo, the candidate for PS-86, Haji Shams Memon, the candidate for PS-87, Pir Ghulam Rehmani and the candidate for PS-88, Haji Usman Jalbani.

The PPP candidates blamed the Shirazi brothers of leading two separate rallies — one from Thatta to Mirpur Sakro and the other from Thatta to Daro via Jati, Sujawal and Mirpur Bathoro towns — and openly canvassing for their candidates.

Interestingly, the Shirazis have fielded seven contestants, including Aijaz Shah’s son, Ayaz Shah, who is contesting from one National Assembly and two provincial assembly seats.

Three of their nephews and two allies, Muhammad Ali Malkani and Haji Usman Malkani are also contesting the polls.

The PPP candidates also accused both the brothers of resorting to whimsical transfers of employees to remote areas, snatching of motorbikes from anti-Shirazi workers on gunpoint and committing cattle theft.

They also accused the Shirazis of hiring hardened criminals to commit road robberies to weaken their opponents.

The telegram further stated that the provincial minister visited Thatta in clear violation of the Sindh government’s notification requiring all provincial ministers and secretaries not to leave Karachi till the day of election.