HYDERABAD, Oct 31: The president of the Sindh chapter of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Syed Qaim Ali Shah, alleged on Wednesday that Sindh chief minister was issuing provocative statements against Benazir Bhutto to instigate workers and create a law and order situation in the province so that he could use it as a pretext for getting the general elections postponed.

Mr Shah said at a news conference at the residence of PPP MPA Zahid Ali Bhurgari that police had registered ‘false’ cases against hundreds of party activists at several places under the orders of the chief minister, who had unleashed vitriolic propaganda against the party leadership to provoke activists.

The soft-spoken politician said: “I am not issuing a warning to Arbab Rahim to stop excesses against workers but just cautioning him (against what lies ahead of him) that his days are numbered and he will not be seen anywhere in the province in December or January”.

A new history had been written in Pakistani politics when over three million people, not only from all the provinces and Azad Kashmir but also from Siachin and Baltistan descended on Karachi on Oct 18 to welcome party chairperson Benazir Bhutto, he said.

The tumultuous reception sent shockwaves through the government ranks and caused Arbab Ghulam Rahim to lose his sense of proportion, he said, adding, that Arbab was trying to create a pretext for the postponement of general elections by issuing irresponsible statements against party chairperson.

Referring to cases registered against party workers in Hyderabad, Khairpur, Tharparkar and a number of other places, Mr Shah said that the cases against rallies and demonstrations were uncalled for because it was legal and constitutional right of political parties to hold rallies.

He said that Arbab Rahim had unleashed terror against Lund community of Kaloi in Tharparkar due to personal enmity and 20 Lund people had so far been arrested.

In Kotri, a false FIR had been registered against Ms Hina Dastagir and 40 unknown persons, which meant that police could arrest anybody on the ground that they were among the 40 people, he said.

Similarly, false cases had been registered against Fayaz Shah, Pasha Qazi and others for holding a peaceful rally in Hyderabad, he remarked.

Arbab Rahim, an admirer of former Sindh chief minister Jam Sadiq Ali, had even surpassed him in victimising PPP activists, he said and condemned removal of PPP posters and billboards in Karachi and Khairpur Nathan Shah.

He said that he had talked to home secretary on the issue and alleged that the billboards and posters in Khairpur Nathan Shah had been removed on the orders of federal minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi.