SUKKUR: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on Monday finalised its candidates for the National Assembly and Sindh Assembly seats of Jacobabad.

Sindh MMA president Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro endorsed the names of Dr A.G. Ansari for NA-196, Haji Deedar Ali Lashari for PS-1 Jacobabad (city), Syed Shah Mohammed Shah for PS-2 (Thull) and Israr Ahmed Khoso for PS-3 (Garhi Khero).

Speaking at a gathering of MMA activists and supporters, Maulana Soomro said that the alliance was duty bound to protect all Islam-related constitutional provisions and laws. He said MMA would work for the empowerment of legislature and independence of judiciary. Besides bringing about essentially required amendments to the Constitution, the alliance would ensure that administrative powers trickled down to the grass-root level, he said discussing MMA’s plan after coming to power.

Referring to the MMA manifesto, Maulana Soomro said that improvement of education and health sectors would be accorded top priority, an allowance would be fixed for every jobless person, all possible measures would be taken to contain unemployment, all unnecessary taxes would be withdrawn, reasonable prices of all essential commodities would be fixed to control inflation and a foreign policy would be evolved to maintain good relations with all countries on the basis of equality. He said that MMA would also put in place an Islamic banking system hooked to international banking sector and ensure provision of all constitutional rights to minorities.

On other issues, he said electricity loadshedding would be brought to an end, water shortage would be contained by making India adhere to the water sharing accord, jobs in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects would be given preferably to local people, a farmer-friendly agriculture policy would be introduced and the industrial sector would be strengthened to the benefit of workers.

PPP minority candidate

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Monday awarded party ticket to Roshan Lal Nagpal, a former president of its minority wing in Jacobabad district, for a minority seat.

Speaking to the media, Nagpal expressed his gratitude and pledged to continue his “selfless services for the welfare of minority communities in the province”.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2018