SHIKARPUR, Nov 13: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentariams president and ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said that the PPP is contesting the Shikarpur by-election as a test case to judge the impartiality of the government.

He said that if the government desisted from rigging and did not misuse the administration and police, a healthy precedent would be set paving the way trust in the government.

Addressing a large public meeting in Shikarpur on Monday on the last day of the election campaign of PPP candidate Agha Taimoor Khan for the by-election on the Sindh Assembly seat PS-11, Shikarpur, he said that the PPP would take active part in 2007 elections, but it was necessary for President Gen Pervez Musharraf to assure all political parties of free and fair elections.

Thousands of people attended the public meeting.

Sindh PPP president Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Aftab Shabaan Mirani, Khursheed Shah, Mir Aijaz Jakhrani, Shagufta Jumani, Mehreen Bhutto, Junaid Soomro and PPP candidate Agha Taimoor Khan also address the meeting.

The meeting continued for four hours in a peaceful atmosphere. Mr Fahim said that the PPP belonged to the people of Pakistan and believed in the rule of people and for that reason it was taking part in the by-election in such worst conditions.

He said that PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto was struggling for the restoration of democracy from abroad and added that she would be among people well before the next elections after which once again the people of Pakistan would rule all four provinces of the country.

PRESS TALKS: Talking to newsmen at the Mirani House, Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that the present rulers were not only failed to provide basic amenities to the people but damaged the constitutional, democratic and moral values to meet their ulterior motives instead of making out efforts for well being of the masses in the country.