KARACHI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday alleged that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was targeting its workers for political victimisation in different cities of Sindh by lodging false cases to counter growing popularity of the opposition party.

Speaking at a press conference at the party media cell, chief organiser of the Sindh PTI Dr Arif Alvi blamed Sindh Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for harassing senior PTI worker Arbab Sameejo to withdraw cases against the minister.

“It’s just one example of the situation in entire Sindh,” he said. “In every Sindh district, PTI workers are being targeted by the police at the behest of the PPP leaders who are trying to counter the growing popularity of the PTI after losing all credibility due to eight years of bad governance in Sindh.”

He claimed that instead of reviewing its policy of corruption and bad governance, the PPP was now pursuing a political vendetta against the party.

Sindh was no more the stronghold of the PPP and the ruling party was well aware of this that winning elections in the province would not be possible now, he added.

“The health and education systems of Sindh have collapsed,” said Dr Alvi, who had just returned after visiting several Sindh districts and cities for the party’s organisation before the local bodies’ polls. “Not a single district has developed infrastructure. The PPP which claims to have the mandate of Sindh should be ashamed of its seven-year government performance.”

He claimed that the PTI was fast gaining popularity in Sindh districts as the people of the province saw Imran Khan as an alternative and true leader who could bring them out of the crisis created by the PPP government over the past seven years. Water shortages, power crisis and unavailability of health services were common complaints of every rural Sindh resident, he added.

On this occasion, senior PTI leader Imran Ismail said that Sindh Local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon had ‘destroyed infrastructure’ which led to the deadly effect of weather on Karachiites.

“Just to make money, he has cut down many trees in the city to replace that place with billboard or hoardings. The severe heatwave turned deadly due to this factor as well. The federal and provincial governments are blaming each other for this tragedy but none of them is doing anything for financial compensation for the victims’ families,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

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