KARACHI, Dec 12: Ali Mohammed Mahar, whom the PML (Q) and its allies have nominated for the post of Sindh chief minister, claimed on Thursday that he enjoyed the support of more than 85 members of the Sindh Assembly, the support of the number of MPAs needed to form government in the province.

Replying to queries of newsmen at the Sindh Assembly after oath-taking of the members, he said: “The support of 85 members are needed to form government, but we have the support of more than that, and you would see that when the time came.”

He claimed that the PML-Q enjoyed the support of Pir Pagara, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Altaf Husain and others whose party members would vote for him.

When asked about allegations regarding interference by the centre in the formation of Sindh government, Mr Mahar said: “ We are Pakistanis and do not consider it interference in the provincial matters.”

As regards creation of any forward block in the Sindh PPP supporting him to form government, he said: “We will welcome such PPP members.”

“I would take vote of confidence just after being elected leader of the house,” he said, claiming that all major political parties and alliances had extended support to him.

He hinted at the possibility of some members of the People’s Party Parliamentarians supporting him.

“There are our friends in the PPP, and I hope some of them would come to us,” he said

Major groups, including the Grand National Alliance, the PML (Functional) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, would support the PML (Q) in the election of chief minister, speaker and deputy speaker, he added.

He expressed thanks to Pir Pagara, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Arbab Ghulam Rahim and the MQM for extending support to him for the post of chief minister.

He said he needed at least three days to contact the assembly members to muster their support in his favour.

Hailing from Ghotki, a northern district of Sindh, Mr Mahar said when elected as chief minister his top priority would be to restore law and order in the province.

“We would restore the lights and happiness of Karachi by restoring law and order in the megacity,” he said, adding Karachi was a mini-Pakistan, where people from all areas of the country lived.

The new Sindh government would make allout efforts to solve the unemployment problem, he said.

Answering a question, he said the governor of the province would be an MQM- supported man. He, however, added that the situation would be clear in a couple of days.

Talking about the three-year performance of the government, he said despite a hostile international situation, the policies of President General Musharraf’s government were good and the new government would continue these policies.

Talking about the human rights situation in the province, particularly karo-kari (honour killing), he said such customs were due to illiteracy. If stringent laws were introduced, such incidents could be curbed.

Replying to a question about a pandemonium-like situation during the oath-taking ceremony in the house, Mr Mahar said it was not a democratic act because assemblies were for debates, not for raising slogans.

VISITS NINE-ZERO: Ali Mohammed Mahar visited Nine-zero, the headquarter of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and thanked the MQM leadership for their support to him for the post of Sindh chief minister.