DADU: Former Sindh chief minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi, who has recently joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), has announced launching of a vigorous campaign on April 22 to expose and foil the “deal” between Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to rule over the country turn by turn.

Addressing a press conference at his residence here on Tuesday, Mr Jatoi said the two major parties had virtually turned the state into a kingdom and had clandestinely struck a deal to rule over it turn by turn by allowing one another to complete a five-year term.

Other PTI leaders Ashique Zounr, Syed Zaffar Ali Shah, Shahnawaz Chandio and Saeed Soomro were also present at the press conference.

Mr Jatoi said he would lead the PTI movement in Sindh against the “deal and massive corruption” of the two parties. The movement, he said, would start with a big public meeting in Dadu on April 22.

“Several prominent leaders of other parties will announce their joining of the PTI on this occasion,” he claimed, and said that party chief Imran Khan and other central leaders would attend the public meeting.

“The top PTI leadership will unveil details of the movement and schedule of various events planned to be held during the course of the struggle,” he said.

Mr Jatoi said it was because of the “massive corruption” on the part of the PPP and PML-N that Pakistan today ranked 23rd on the list of the most corrupt states in the world.

He referred to the federal audit reports and quoted figures from them saying that the losses caused to the national exchequer by way of corruption over the past few years had almost touched the mark of a trillion rupees while all departments of the Sindh government were plagued by the menace.

“[PPP co-chairman] Asif Ali Zardari and [PML-N president] Nawaz Sharif have been plundering taxpayers’ money and siphoning it to their accounts abroad,” he alleged.

In reply to a question, Mr Jatoi said Asif Zardari was grooming his son Bilawal and Nawaz Sharif his daughter Maryam as their political successors and were eyeing the power corridors through the next general elections. “But the masses will foil their designs to continue with their loot and plunder,” he added.

He said corruption had engulfed the entire country to the extent that its very survival had come under threat and that’s why he invited Imran Khan to visit Sindh as well and help launch a vigorous campaign against the menace and those involved in it.

“A ‘white paper’ is also planned to be issued against both the parties,” he added.

Answering a question about cred­i­bi­lity of the Election Commi­s­sion of Pakistan (ECP), Mr Jatoi said that the next general elections were not going to be held under the incumbent ECP. “It is also necessary to overhaul the entire electoral system to ensure transparency in the process,” he said.

The former chief minister, who had been heading his Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) before joining the PTI a few days ago, repeated his claim that he and his son had won their respective seats in the 2013 elections but the results were changed by bribing the returning officers concerned.

Making his observations about the present state of Sindh, Mr Jatoi said that a shortage of water had already destroyed the agriculture sector but the inept provincial government was unable to deal with the situation. Resultantly, he said the water issue was fast becoming a crisis.

Instead of doing something to overcome the crisis, the PPP leadership was busy striking deals with parties and individuals to ensure its return to power, he said.

A number of other issues facing Sindh also remained unresolved ultimately ruining the province, he added.

Mr Jatoi strongly condemned Sindh Governor Mohammed Zub­air’s recent remarks belittling former army chief Raheel Sharif, and said the latter had played a commendable role in fighting terrorism and restoring peace in Karachi. “The credit goes to his leadership qualities as the army and Rangers troops tactfully tackled terrorism in Karachi and other parts of the country,” he said. He said the PML-N governor must apologise over his ridiculous remarks.

Mr Jatoi criticised PPP and the Sindh government for protecting [former federal minister for petroleum] Dr Asim Hussain and [former Sindh information minister] Shar­jeel Inam Memon, and said they must get themselves cleared from the judiciary through fair trials.

He said both Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif should also be tried for massive money laundering, adding that Mr Zardari owned much more properties abroad than Mr Sharif.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2017