KARACHI, April 21: The PPP Sindh executive council on Wednesday praised Asif Ali Zardari for "sticking to his principled stand" and demanded the government set him free "forthwith and unconditionally".
The council, which met here with PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro in the chair, also condemned the government for carrying out "vindictive activities against the PPP, media-trial of its central leadership" and vowed to pay back in their own coin to those active against the party.
Those who attended the meeting were Rashid Hussain Rabbani, Pir Aftab Shah Jilani, Haji Muzaffar Shujra, Seraj Durrani, Abdul Sattar Bachani, Maula Bux Chandio, Lal Bux Bhutto and Dr Karim Khawaja.
The executive council, which met to discuss the government's plan to send Asif Zardari to Switzerland, by-elections in Sindh, price increase, unemployment and the law and order situation in the province, paid tribute to Mr Zardari for facing courts since 1996 without bowing to demands of the establishment.
It also criticized the "biased and unconstitutional" attitude of the Election Commission and demanded that the government cancel all transfers and postings made in Sindh after the announcement of the by-election schedule.
The PPP Sindh executive council also denounced the government for projecting the concept of "rural and urban Sindh" and termed it an attempt to widen the gulf between people of the urban and rural areas.
Members of the executive council held this projection an attempt to divide the people of the province on ethnic and linguistic bases and declared it a conspiracy against the integrity of Pakistan. A resolution was also passed by the council, praising the services of the slain MPA Abdullah Murad.
The meeting, held with Syed Qaim Ali Shah in the chair and attended by Nawab Yousuf Talpur, Naheed Khan, Aftab Shaaban Mirani, Taj Haider and Prof N.D. Khan, observed that the government was trying to send Mr Zardari abroad by committing forgery.
"After having failed to prove anything against Mr Zardari, the government tried to send him abroad against his will, but he countered the move with his commitments to the people of Pakistan," the meeting said. - PPI
