KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Functional president and Grand Democratic Alliance’s chief Pir Pagara has said solidarity and stability of the country is above everything and that is why his party is extending complete support to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

The GDA chief expressed these views in response to a phone call from PTI’s central leader Jahangir Tareen who told him on Friday that he wanted to pay a visit to Kingri House, the Pir’s Karachi residence.

Pir Pagara pointed out that the GDA even before the general election on July 25 had decided to extend political support to Imran Khan and his party backed PTI candidates in Sindh whenever possible during the election.

PTI leader Tareen contacts GDA chief and expresses desire to visit Kingri House

“Our cooperation with the PTI will continue,” he said.

Appreciating the sentiments of Pir Pagara, Mr Tareen said he would be visiting Karachi in a day or two to meet him at Kingri House.

GDA protests against rigging

The GDA on Friday staged a protest rally outside the Karachi Press Club against rigging where its leaders rejected the outcome of the general election.

The protesters were led by Ghaus Ali Shah, Sardar Raheem, Nusrat Sahar Abbasi, Qari Usman, Abdul Karim Abid, Maulana Omar Sadiq, Aslam Ghauri and others.

“We want fresh elections. The election commission failed to discharge its duties fairly,” they said.

The GDA leaders also warned that they would give a call for a shutter-down strike in the province if their demands were not met.

The protesters included a large number of women and youths who were holding placards and raising slogans against the “rigged and fraud” elections.

They also accused the PPP of “destroying” the entire province. “People now want to get rid of the PPP,” they said.

The GDA leaders further said their polling agents were thrown out of polling stations at 6pm on election day and Form 45 was not provided to them.

They asked the chief election commissioner to tender his resignation as he failed to conduct fair and free elections despite spending Rs22 billion on the exercise.

“We will not surrender before Asif Zardari and will not rest until our due right is accepted,” they concluded.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2018