SUKKUR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) parliamentary leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Shaikh has said that the Election Commission of Pakistan, which had hastily reacted to prime minister’s Ghotki visit accusing him of violating code of conduct, remains conspicuously silent on chief minister and his cabinet’s running election campaign for PPP candidate for NA-205 by-poll.

Mr Shaikh, who was flanked by Grand Democratic Alliance leader Sardar Ghous Bux Mahar, PTI’s MPA Dr Saeed Afridi and independent candidate for NA-205 Sardar Ahmed Ali Mahar, son of former Sindh chief minister late Sardar Ali Mohammad Mahar, said at a press conference at local press club here on Sunday that Pakistan Peoples Party government had broken all past records of violation of code of conduct in NA-205 (Ghotki) constituency.

But, he said, the ECP which had taken no time issuing a show-cause notice Prime Minister Imran Khan when he had visited Ghotki to offer condolence to family members over the death of his cabinet member, Mohammad Ali Mahar, had so far ignored PPP’s brazen violations. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and his cabinet members were openly running election campaign for PPP candidate but ECP had so far failed to notice it, he said.

ECP had hastily issued notice to PM for violation of code of conduct

He said that PTI had not fielded any candidate for NA-205 like it did earlier and was extending support to independent candidate Sardar Ahmed Ali Mahar while entire machinery of PPP government and its leadership had landed in Ghotki to stage rallies just for one seat. The government’s work had virtually been put on hold to run the election campaign, he said.

He said that the party could even seek to summon Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur from jail to muster support for the PPP candidate. The party leaders had staged a rally against price hike in which the PPP candidate and the chief minister were standing on same truck. Why such rallies were not being staged against spread of AIDS in Ratodero and death of innocent children in Thar, he asked.

He said the PPP candidate had already been disqualified as he had failed to mention in his nomination papers his involvement in criminal cases and occupation of 2,000 acres of the federal government’s land.

When the officers concerned initiated inquiry in the land-grabbing case they were transferred, he said, adding that Ghotki deputy commissioner had become virtually a slave to the PPP.

He termed PPP rally in Sukkur a flopped show and recalled that hardly half a dozen women had come out on streets when Faryal Talpur was arrested and likewise, a handful jiyalas had turned up for Asif Ali Zardari.

He said that about five candidates were eyeing the office of the chief minister. A corrupt and criminal coterie had ruled Sindh over the past decade and embezzled hundreds of billions of rupees of public money. Corruption amounting to billions of rupees was made even in Zakat funds and Benazir Youth Programme, he said.

Sardar Ghous Bux Mahar said that PPP government was running election campaign of the party candidate. The entire Sindh government and PPP leadership had been in Ghotki for the past five days, he said.

Independent candidate Ahmed Ali Mahar said the government machinery was being used brazenly in by-election. The PPP candidate was accompanied by government protocol even went to file his nomination papers, he said.

He said that voters were being harassed by PPP government and demanded holding by-polls under supervision of Pak Army.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2019