NAWABSHAH, Sept 8: The special assistant to the Sindh chief minister, Mr Abdul Rauf Khan, has refuted allegations of harassment levelled by People’s Party Parliamentarians’ MPA Tariq Masood Arain against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

He was speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Thursday. He said that the MPA was trying to impress his party leaders by levelling baseless allegations against the MQM.

The special assistant said that more than half a dozen of the PPP-backed Awam Dost Panel nazims were elected from Nawabshah and if the MQM wanted to put pressure, it could have pressurized anyone rather than pressurizing the MPA’s brothers only.

He said that if the government machinery were used then not a single councillor of the PPP would have been elected.

Mr Khan said that Tariq Masood had alleged the ministers of MQM of pressurizing him to step down in their favour, while in reality the ministers did not even know him properly.

Regarding the matter of taking the coaches of the MPA into police custody, the assistant said that it was an administrative matter and had no link with the MQM. He said that Mr Arain used coaches without a route permit and deceived public.