KARACHI, Sept 19: The Karachi Coordination Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party took stock of the evolving political situation in the province and expressed concern over continuing process of alleged kidnapping of elected councillors and UC Nazims and Naib Nazims.

The meeting, chaired by the party’s provincial chief Syed Qaim Ali Shah, also reviewed the progress so far made in the negotiations for seat adjustments in the run up for the city district government of Karachi and other districts.

Sources said that a press conference was expected on Tuesday in which the PPP and the MMA would identify the list of agreed candidates for the top slot. Concern was expressed over reports of kidnappings and harassment of elected councillors and the government was slammed for hijacking the elections.

The meeting condemned the kidnapping of proposer and seconder of the Awam Dost candidate for Thatta Nazim, Arbab Mohammad Din. The proposer, Syed Shabbir Shah, and the seconder, Aziz Soomro, were kidnapped on Sept 15, the leaders mentioned, adding that taking advantage of their absence during scrutiny the nomination papers of the Awam Dost candidate were rejected. The proposer and seconder of Awam Dost Taluka Shahdadpur Nazim candidate Anwar Chandio were kidnapped ahead of scrutiny, they observed.

It was noted that kidnappings of candidates, their proposers and seconders all over Sindh by the ruling party and the police had become a routine before, during and after the polls. Instead of investigating these complaints or taking any action on the wide coverage given by the media to hundreds of kidnapping cases, the Election Commission ignored them, they alleged, and regretted that the commission asked to prove their kidnapping.

Even ladies were not spared and were kidnapped in Thatta to prevent them from working for Awam Dost candidates in the so-called elections.

The meeting observed that military dictator was directly responsible for these crimes since they were being committed under his patronage.

PPP leaders demanded probe by a neutral authority in all such complaints.