KARACHI, Oct 15: Faced with internal dissensions under regime’s pressure and owing to differences over anti-government protest strategy, the Pakistan People’s Party coordination committee has accused the provincial government of manipulating local body elections on empty seats to the detriment of Awam Dost candidates.

The meeting of coordination committee was chaired by Syed Qaim Ali Shah at Bilawal House. The committee deplored, what it called, the direct intervention by the chief minister and his entire provincial administration.

The meeting reviewed over all political and socio-economic situation, particularly in the context of one-year performance of the government, and termed it unsatisfactory. PPP deputy secretary general Raza Rabbani, former defence minister Aftab Shahban Mirani, Nawab Yousuf Talpur, N.D. Khan and others also deliberated on the deteriorating law and order situation in Sindh.

A report was submitted before the committee on the alleged malpractice of the government in the local body elections on vacant seats in various districts.

It accused the chief minister of using arm tactics against Awam Dost candidates, believed to be PPP proxy. It alleged that nazims, deputy nazims, and councillors sympathetic to the PPP in Khairpur, Thatta, Jacobabad, Sukkur, Dadu, and Naushehro Firoz, were being implicated in false cases and attempts were allegedly being made to kidnap them.

The PPP alleged that on the instructions of provincial irrigation minister, 11 Awam Dost councillors were kidnapped in Khairpur. The meeting also expressed concern over attempt to kidnap PPP Parliamentarians MPA Anwar Mahar.

It was decided that the party would soon meet the IGP in connection with these incidents.

However, what the PPP press statement did not say was the matter pertaining to implication of the defiance of party line by some of the MNAs from Sindh during opposition protest. The coordination committee was silent on the incident and the reported suspension of MNA Sher Mohammad Baloch.