0
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Friday said that PPP and its allied parties have written history by empowering Election Commission through 18th and 20th amendments in the Constitution.
Talking to media representatives during his visit to Sindh Assembly to witness the Senate polling, the chief minister said the Election Commission is powerful and independent today to ensure free, fair and transparent elections. “It is quite visible in the Senate elections,” he said.
This credit, he said, goes to leadership of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) especially President Asif Ali Zardari and that of other parties including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Pakistan Muslim League –Functional and National People's Party.
He thanked all the political parties which extended cooperation and support to the government for strengthening democracy and upholding the Constitution.
He said PPP leadership has been strictly pursuing the policy of reconciliation initiated by Benazir Bhutto. The party would take along all its allies in the coming general elections.
He said that PPP never believed in political victimisation of opponents and struggled for freedom of right of expression to everyone. It is on the record that not a single case was registered on political basis in the country over last four years.
He criticised former chief minister Sindh, Arbab Ghulam Rahim and alleged that Mr Rahim was envious of the successes of PPP-led government over last four years.
He said Arbab Rahim remained absent from Sindh Assembly for last four years and did not represent the people of his constituency. It was the PPP government which had carried out a lot of development in Tharparkar and gave many jobs to the people from this area irrespective of their political affiliations.
He said it was PPP which resolved the old dispute between the Federation and Sindh province about the ownership right on Thar Coal deposits. Now, he added, it is the property of Sindh.
