HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Hyderabad division youth wing has expressed its reservations over the election board constituted by party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and urged him to ensure allocation of party tickets for the upcoming local government elections only to senior activists.

Speaking at a press conference at the local press club on Thursday, Hyderabad division youth wing president Ahsan Abro, and other senior activists including Noorunnisa Abro, Ghulam Nabi Khoso, Lal Bukhsh Jatoi, Saeed Ahmed and Mohammad Ibrahim Soomro claimed that most people who were given the party tickets in 27 wards of Qasimabad taluka were not even PPP activists.

They noted that each district election board comprised a party senator, an MNA, the district president and general secretary and heads of women, youth and minority wings. They insisted that the candidate chosen for a councillor seat must have been approved by all seven members of the board.

On the contrary, they alleged, 27 tickets were awarded to Hyderabad PPP general secretary and minister Jam Khan Shoro’s acquaintances and the district president, Zahid Bhurgari, was also involved in the favouritism.

They also claimed that MNA Shagufta Jumani, Ameer Ali Shah Jamote and heads of the three wings did not approve the candidates as they had not been consulted.

They urged the top PPP leadership to cancel the ticket allocation in Hyderabad division to avoid disappointment to those activists who had rendered great sacrifices for the party over the past 25 years.

They warned that other candidates, including the six belonging to the youth wing, would boycott the LG elections if the high command did not take action against Mr Shoro and Mr Bhurgari for awarding tickets to the 27 people who did not belong to the PPP.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2015

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