LARKANA, July 20: The president of People’s Party Parliamentarians, Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has brushed aside free and fair local body polls under the given conditions. Talking to journalists at the Dhamraho village on Wednesday where he condoled with ex-district nazim Khursheed Junejo on the death of his father, he said that the Sindh government has taken the lower cadre polls seriously and even Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Rahim began whirlwind tours of Sindh.

He accused the Sindh government for arresting and harassing PPP-backed candidates, quoting registration of false cases against 13 candidates of UCs of Tando Allahyar when they arrived to file their nomination papers.

After they skipped their arrest, police were sent to their houses asking them to desist from contesting, he said.

Later they met the DPO who expressed his ignorance about the incident. Recently PPP’s top leadership was stopped from going to Gabidero where police remained a silent spectator.

What does it mean when the Sindh chief minister, prior to polls, says that he would win 100 percent seats and sweep in eight districts, Syed Qaim Ali Shah questioned. This is all illegal, against the set rules of Election Commission of Pakistan, he said adding that what it (government) would do on the election day.

He called upon the election commission to take action where its prescribed rules were being violated by the rulers. “We are sending telegrams and letters to the Chief Election Commissioner apprising him of the obtaining conditions in the province and demanding action against the violators’, the Sindh PPP chief said.

He said that despite all odds, PPP will contest polls and steal the show, as PPP believes in the return of Ms Benazir Bhutto in a democratic way.

He ruled out any possibility of seat adjustments saying that party had only permitted local level adjustments.

In one or two districts such adjustment had been arrived at with PML (F), he said. Replying to a question Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that anti-greater Thal canal committee will meet soon to chalk out further strategy in the light of release of water into Thal Canal.

He said that releasing 10 million acre feet water downstream Kotri was mandatory to keep alive the sea life and stop sea from intrusion.

However the rulers, ignoring the facts, were emphasising the construction of Kalabagh Dam that had been rejected by three provincial assemblies.

Already thousands of acres of fertile land had been devastated by sea erosion in Thatta and Badin only when no water downstream Kotri was released.

MPA Ayaz Soomro, MNA Anwar Bhutto president and general secretary respectively of the PPP Larkana and ex-district nazim Khursheed Junejo were present on the occasion.

Later the local party leaders briefed Syed Qaim Ali Shah about the preparations for local body polls in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts.

Revenue staff suspend: The revenue staff on Wednesday temporarily suspended their protest till 22 July. The Sindh minister Altaf Unnar, the DCOS’ of Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot visited the strikers’ camp outside the EDO (revenue) office and assured for presenting their grievance against Anti-corruption police before the Sindh chief minister who will visit Larkana on July 22.