HYDERABAD, July 10: Sindh Minister for Planning and Development Shoaib Bukhari has denied allegations of pre-poll rigging and said those who are accusing the government of rigging the local body elections are themselves involved in the excersise.

Talking to journalists at the circuit house here on Sunday, he claimed that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement would win the polls, saying the MQM had worked for people during the last four years.

He said the MQM was not using its political platform but party workers would work for candidates, adding that in fact the workers would be candidates in the polls.

When asked whether participation of political parties would be violation of the Election Commission’s directive, he said parties would not award tickets to candidates but political workers would participate in the election campaign.

Mr Bukhari said the claim of Karachi City Nazim Niamatullah Khan that he had got executed record number of development projects was wrong. He said the nazim also claimed to have launched the Lyari Expressway and the Northern bypass although the schemes had been funded by the central government and the Sindh government had provided land for the purpose. He said the revenue department of the City District Government Karachi had only conducted a survey for resettlement of affected people.

He observed that defunct district governments had been passing deficit budgets that was why the Sindh government had restrained them from passing budgets for the current year. He, however, said ongoing schemes would not be affected as funds would be released for the projects.

Mr Bukhari, who is a member of the working committee of the president’s development package for Hyderabad, said proper road infrastructure would be laid in the district and the seepage problem would also be addressed by consultants of the project.

He said the Kohisar hospital and the urology department in the Bhittai Hospital, Latifabad, would be made fully functional by November.