SUKKUR: Former Senate chairman and president Muhammadmian Soomro will contest for the National Assembly seat, NA-196, in the 2018 general election.

This was announced by Sardarzada Maula Bux Soomro, the Jacobabad district president of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) at a press conference at the Jacobabad Press Club.

Sardarzada Soomro is the paternal grandson of former NA speaker Illahi Bux Soomro and paternal cousin of Muhammadmian Soomro. The PTI district chief did not hesitate to acknowledge a property dispute with a member of the Soomro community, Umar Soomro, who according to him was hand-in-glove with local Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader MNA Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani.

He alleged that the MNA and other PPP leaders from Jacobabad were involved in corruption and had neglected the district during their party’s rule over Sindh.

He welcomed the investigation being conducted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) into alleged corruption of billions of rupees in development funds.

He claimed that he possessed the evidence/proof of corruption which could be produced before investigators to help them proceed with the NAB references.

He accused Mumtaz Jakhrani of acquiring expensive pieces of government-owned lands at nominal rates and selling them for millions of rupees. He alleged that such lands included one plot allotted to the Sikh community for the construction of a temple.

The PPP MNA’s complaint cell in-charge Mir Fahad Jakhrani rejected all allegations levelled by Sardarzada Soomro in the press conference.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2018