February 07, 2008	Thursday	Muharram 28, 1429

THATTA, Feb 6: Caretaker Sindh Minister for Food and Agriculture Syed Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi on Wednesday said that former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim was a cursed man who did very little for solving problems of the district.

The minister, who is campaigning for his sons amid protest by Pakistan People’s Party, said at gatherings at Christian Mohalla, Sabira Mohalla, Missan Paro, Verabi, Brohi Goth and Lath village that if people reposed trust in Shirazis they would eliminate poverty, redress civic problems and provide jobs to the unemployed.

He also convened a corner meeting at the residence of Thatta DSP in Serai mohalla.

He said that the group had set a precedent by making it binding on state machinery and government officials to solve the problems of common man only through Shirazis.

He came down hard on PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and held him responsible for the dismissal of Benazir Bhutto’s governments in past.

The minister is campaigning for his sons Syed Riaz Shah Shirazi, a Pakistan Muslim League candidate for NA-237 and Syed Fayaz Shah Shirazi, a candidate for PS-84.

Meanwhile, dozens of PPP activists led Dr Abdul Wahid Soomro and Abdul Jalil Memon, candidate for PS-84, staged a procession in protest against the caretaker minister’s campaigning for his sons.

The procession marched to the press club where the leaders said in their speeches that the minister’s act was in sheer violation of the code of conduct and rules and regulations of the Election Commission of Pakistan.