SUKKUR: Former PPP MNA Mir Shabbir Ahmed Bijarani, son of late provincial minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, announced parting ways with the Pakistan Peoples Party and joining the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) on Wednesday.

Mr Bijarani, flanked by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader and former caretaker prime minister Muhammadmian Soomro and GDA leader Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar, said at a press conference at the Sukkur Press Club that he would contest PS-06 (Tangwani) as an independent candidate and inflict a humiliating defeat on PPP candidates.

He said that people of his own party filed objection against his nomination papers and when he reported the matter to the party leaders they did not pay any heed to it nor listened to his grievances. He was now fed up with the situation and decided to quit the party and join the GDA, he said.

He said that he informed Faryal Talpur and Nisar Khuhro but they did nothing in this regard. He would oppose PPP-backed candidates in Kandhkot-Kashmore, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Sukkur, Ghotki and other areas with the help of his community and supporters and extend complete support to anti-PPP candidates.

He said that he would not compromise on his honour and self-respect.

GDA leader Sardar Ali Gohar Khan Mahar claimed that more important figures would join the anti-PPP alliance within the next 48 hours and good news could come from his own family soon. They would sweep election in Sukkur and Ghotki districts, he said.

PTI’s Muhammadmian Soomro said that the PPP of today was no more a party of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and its proof was enraged workers, party members and senior leaders taking leadership to task in public. The PTI and anti-PPP alliance would succeed and make government in Sindh, he said.

Former MPA Shaharyar Mahar, Mir Ghalib Hussain Khan Domki, Mohammad Aslam Shaikh who resigned from the post of chairman of district council Sukkur and Ms Shaista Khoso who resigned from leadership of PPP ladies wing Sukkur, were also present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2018