HYDERABAD, July 12: A member of the Sindh Council of the People’s Party Parliamentarians, Mohammad Usman Kennedy, has accused the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of indulging in pre-poll rigging. Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Tuesday, he alleged that the MQM was harassing PPP workers in Liaquat Colony and other constituencies. He said local MQM leaders had pulled down PPP flags in Liaquat Colony’s union councils 10 and 11 and threatened PPP activists with dire consequences if they unfurled party flags anywhere. Under these circumstances, he said, fair, impartial and transparent elections would remain a dream.

He demanded dismissal of the Sindh government before the local bodies’ elections.

Mr Kennedy maintained that the MQM had remained in power on five occasions but it had failed to protect rights of Mohajirs notwithstanding the fact that it was the Mohajir slogan that had catapulted it to power. He said the Muttahida had not fulfilled its promises about abolition of the quota system, establishment of a city university and employment to Urdu-speaking people.

He claimed that the local bodies had been dissolved to give a free hand to the MQM in the coming elections.

He said he had sent telegrams to authorities concerned that if he or any other PPP worker was harmed in Liaquat Colony, Hirabad, Sarfaraz Colony and other parts of the city, an FIR should be registered against the MQM chief, Sindh governor, Hyderabad zonal in-charge and the Liaquat Colony sector in-charge.

Answering a question about the ensuing visit of the prime minister to Hyderabad to address a public meeting from the platform of the MQM, Mr Kennedy said it would be unconstitutional.

Qazi Jamil, Abdul Wahid Shaikh, Hakeem Qureshi, Siddique Pehalwan and other party activists were also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, PPP deputy opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Naveed Qamar has said the real contest in the local bodies’ elections will be between the Pakistan Muslim League and the PPP.

He was talking to party workers at the Bukhari House in Tando Mohammad Khan on Monday.

He alleged that creation of new districts in Sindh, large-scale transfers and postings of bureaucrats and victimization of opposition leaders were aimed at rigging the polls.

District party president Syed Mohsin Shah Bukhari hoped PPP-backed candidates would win the elections.

PML-N: Sahibzada Shabbir Hassan Ansari and Sardar Mohammad Rafique Lodhi have been appointed the district president and general secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League-N respectively.

According to authentic reports, the appointments were made by PML-N chief Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and president Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif on recommendations of the provincial chief organizer of the party, Mamnoon Hussain.