HYDERABAD, Oct 24: Pakistan People’s Party MNA Nawab Abdul Ghani Talpur has criticized the interference of government functionaries in the local bodies by-elections, specially for the post of district Naib Nazim, Dadu district.

In a statement faxed to Dawn here on Friday, he said that on the one hand, it was being propagated that the introduction of the local bodies system was a great achievement of President General Pervez Musharraf and, on the other hand, his own ministers were trying to undermine the nascent system.

He alleged that these forces either intended to defeat General Musharraf’s vision of democracy at grassroots level or they had set up a parallel system of governance.

The MNA further alleged that DPO (Investigation) Tipu Sultan had been assigned the task of manipulating the results through the use of force.

Charging the police with the abduction of 22 councillors, he said that some of them who managed to get back were deprived of their identity cards by the DPO and added that when they tried to lodge an FIR against him, they were thrown out of the police station.

He alleged that the entire police machinery and vehicles were used to get the minister’s candidate elected.

The Nawab called upon the Chief Election Commissioner to have the DPO (Investigation) removed immediately to restore some credibility in the ensuing polls and to avoid another sad chapter in the history of the country’s democracy.

MUSHAIRA: Sindh Excise and Taxation Minister Abdul Rauf Siddiqui has said that Hyderabad has remained the centre of literary activities and the people of the city have been playing their due role in the promotion of literature and culture.

He also gave the assurance of the Sindh government of performing its due role by encouraging organizations which were working for the promotion of literature and culture.

Mr Siddiqui said this while delivering his presidential speech at the “Zafran Zaar Aalmi Mushaira” held at Dialdas Club here on Thursday night which was organized by the Kamaluddin Memorial Society.

DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed, was the chief guest on the occasion. He praised the chairman of the society, Raees Kamal, for organizing the Aalmi Mushaira and announced a grant of Rs25,000 for the society.

Noted poet Ziaul Haq Qasmi conducted the proceedings of the Mushaira whose participants included Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, Dr Inamul Haq Javed, Sarfaraz Shahid, Zahid Fakhri, Ameerul Islam Hashmi, Athar Shah, Meem Sheen Alam, Ehsan Nohrio, Azra Sadiq and Shakeela Sarwat.

MUET RESULT: The Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro, announced the result of the entry test.

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