BADIN: Estranged Pakistan Peoples Party leader Dr Zulfikar Ali Mirza, who is a former home minister, has said that the results of the local government elections in Badin district shows that people want to get rid of corruption as they have rejected the elements associated with former president Asif Ali Zardari.

Addressing a press conference at his Maurjhar farmhouse on Sunday along with the winning candidates backed by him in the second round of the LG elections, Dr Mirza said he would now invite Fatima Bhutto and Zulfikar Junior [children of Mir Murtaza Bhutto] to the party he intended to form.

“I will also take nationalists along for the sake of Sindh’s interests,” he said, adding that if he failed to form an ideal party, he would prefer to join the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F).

He said his political base in Karachi would remain the same i.e. Lyari, Korangi, Keamari and Malir.

He alleged that “official pressure” and money were being used to force his associates to change their loyalties. He warned his rivals against such practices, warning that it would have serious repercussions.

Dr Mirza also claimed that many PPP lawmakers were in contact with him but their names would be declared after his party was registered with the ECP.

In Mithi, a large number of people led by the Arbab group which was an ally of Dr Mirza in the elections, held a demonstration and besieged the office of the assistant returning office in Chhachhro town for six hours in protest against alleged

HYDERABAD: Former Sindh chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has accusedan adviser of the chief minister of ransacking the treasury office in Chhachhro and theft of ballots in Tharparkar. “This has exposed PPP’s fake claims of a clean sweep in the elections in Tharparkar,” he said.

The protesters held talks with the returning officer, Naveed Ahmed Larik, who assured them of certifying the victory of three Arbab group candidates so the results were not be tampered with.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, he alleged that Mumtaz Rahimoon had ransacked treasury office and stolen ballots of union council and town committees.

He also criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for “its failure to hold free and fair elections.” He said that PPP had done the same thing in Sanghar where it was challenged by Jam Madad Ali.

He said that people didn’t vote for PPP.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2015