SUKKUR: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has offered party ticket to Ahmed Ali Khan Mahar, the son of Ali Mohammed Khan Mahar — the federal minister for narcotics control who died recently — for the NA-205 Ghotki by-election, political sources said here on Friday.

They said the by-election featured at a meeting between Mr Bhutto-Zardari and Mr Ali Ahmed Mahar, who along with his uncle Sardar Mohammed Bakhsh Khan Mahar and Bangul Khan Mahar called on him at Zardari House in Nawabshah on Thursday.

The sources said that Ahmed Ali Khan Mahar agreed to join PPP and contest on its ticket for the National Assembly seat that has fallen vacant due to the death of his father.

Deceased Ali Mohammed Khan Mahar, a former Sindh chief minister, had joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and was given the ministry of narcotics control in the federal cabinet.

The sources said that an announcement regarding the junior Mahar’s joining of the PPP and contesting on NA-205 on its ticket was likely to be made soon by the party.

Sardar Mohammed Bakhsh Khan Mahar, an adviser to the Sindh chief minister, has been quoted as saying that his nephew has joined the PPP.

Meanwhile, Bahawalpur Corps Commander General Adnan, MNAs Nafisa Shah, Ghous Bakhsh Khan Mahar and other prominent figures including Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood, Syed Murtaza Mehmood, Mustafa Mehmood, Sardar Habib Khan Gopang, Chaudhry Farooq Aziz Gujjar and Rana Waseem Ahmed also called on the Mahar family separately during Eid days to offer their condolences over the death of Ali Mohammed Mahar.

NAWABSHAH: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, speaking to party workers during his visit to the PPP secretariat here on Thursday, said that the PTI government was taking all decision in favour of the rich as it was of and for the wealthy people. “All its decisions are against the poor,” he claimed.

He said that a meeting of PPP’s central executive committee would be held in Islamabad on June 10 to discuss the overall political situation in the country. The meeting would announce a schedule for the mass contact campaign, he added.

He said the “selected” government and adopted prime minister had totally destroyed the national economy and the masses would have to take to streets to remove them.

‘PTI failed to benefit from initial opposition support’

HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) information secretary Senator Maula Bux Chandio has branded present rulers as inept and incompetent and said the prime minister and his team lack far-sightedness as they have failed to take advantage of the support the opposition parties had offered to the government during its initial days.

Mr Chandio told journalists after offering Eid prayers in Qasimabad on Wednesday that federal government had no concern for people. Loadshedding had reached its peak during Ramazan and price hike had broken the back of Pakistanis; still the prime minister was warning people to brace for tougher days ahead, he said.

He said that people were groaning under unbearable burden of problems but the government was least interested in resolving their issues. The ruling party simply did not know how to govern the country as they were in the habit of sitting on opposition benches, he said.

He said that time would come soon when the rulers would be crying again. The government’s self-destructive actions were uniting opposition leadership, he said.

He said that final decision on an all-parties conference would be taken by political leadership and it would be held at all costs. PPP had always played an important role in political movements and it was ready to take up the mantle again, he said.

Mr Chandio said that PPP would not laugh at Nawaz Sharif’s plight today though he and his ministers used to poke fun at the slain party chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

He said that a group of “political nomads” was being patronised and given important ministries. “May God rid people of the inept rulers or bless them with prudence”, he said.

About deepening controversy over Ruet-i-Hilal committee, he said that he had been witnessing it since the days of Gen Ayub but the present crisis was unprecedented. “Allama” Fawad Chaudhry was already forecasting moon sighting; if he did not shun his provocative attitude then Pakistan would also be in crisis besides the moon, he said.

He said the government could resolve controversy over moon sighting once and for all by bringing together people from all schools of thought. Maulana Popalzai’s edict led to two Eids and 28 fasting days in Ramazan which, he believed, was being done to pit Muslims against one another.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2019