THATTA, Aug 17: People’s Party Parliamentarians MPA Sassui Palijo has said that the Awam Dost Panel candidates will sweep the local body elections in 38 of the 41 union councils in Thatta district provided the polls are held in a free and fair manner. However, she said she was sure that the polls would not be fair or impartial.

Speaking to newsmen at the local press club on Wednesday, the MPA contended that she was confidently expressing doubts about the fairness of poll in view of the worst ever pre-poll rigging the district ever witnessed.

Giving details, she said that the murder of a party activist, Ghulam Hussain Mallah, in Kharochhan, registration of a fake FIR against 192 party activists, including her father, Ghulam Qadir Palijo, and a number of ADP candidates by the Gharo police, attack on an ADP worker, Gul Hassan Brohi in Chatto Chand and the murder of Gaghoon Khaskheli, father-in-law of Rafique Khaskheli, a naib nazim candidate from the union council of Garho, threats of dire consequences to honest presiding officers and other polling staff and the ‘Gherao’ of an ADP corner meeting in Gharo by Riaz Shah Shirazi and his henchmen on Tuesday night were the examples.

She said that participants of the said meeting presided over by her, if had reacted, bloodshed would have never been tolerated.

Sassui Palijo warned that if any causality or harm inflicted to any PPP activist and ADP candidate or worker on polling day, FIR will be lodged against leaders of the Shirazi group and its coordinating bureaucrats, including the DCO, the DPO and others, in the Thatta district administration.

MPA Palijo lashed out some journalists, saying that their papers strategically avoided giving due coverage to activities as well as the victimization, harassment of the ADP-related people by police and the district administration on behest of the king’s party, adding that such a professional “dishonestly” will never be tolerated.

Commenting on the recent directives under the code of conduct, barring entry of MNAs, MPAs and advisers in the polling stations during the polls, Ms Palijo said the time was paramount to prove her claims that such rules will only be applicable to opponents not for the king’s party men.

She said if justice really prevails then under no ethics and rules even the Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim who also enjoys to the provincial chief of his PML party can not be allowed to enter polling stations. But he was on record seen convincing and throwing national exchequer to get his party men elected by hook or by crook.