KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday described an address of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi to an election campaign rally in Umerkot through video link as a violation of the code of conduct and asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to take action against the foreign minister.

At a meeting of the PPP’s Sindh chapter in CM House, a resolution was passed, which condemned the “anti-democracy practice” by the seasoned politician and called it an attempt to influence the by-poll process in Umerkot.

The ECP had issued notification fixing the polling date to April 15.

The seat in PS-52 has fallen vacant due to the demise of Sindh Assembly member Syed Ali Mardan Shah of the PPP.

Former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim has submitted his nomination papers as a joint candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and its ally in the federal government the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).

The PPP has nominated Ameer Ali Shah, who is a son of deceased MPA Syed Ali Mardan Shah, as its candidate for the by-poll.

The PPP meeting, which was chaired by its Sindh president Nisar Ahmad Khuhro also asked the Election Commission to make sure implementation of the code of conduct during the electioneering.

The PPP also demanded that the federal government announce fresh NFC Award, which was due after every five years and blamed Islamabad for “delaying tactics to deprive the province of its due share in the development funds”.

The meeting participants demanded that the federal government also increase the provinces’ share from 57 per cent to 60pc.

“Sindh would not accept any deduction in its share in the new award,” said a statement issued after the meeting.

“The federal government is making every attempt to roll back 18th Amendment. We warn the government that it would not just end here but it would weaken the federation.”

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2020