LARKANA, Oct 4: The Election Commission has agreed to appoint federal government employees as presiding officers in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts during the third phase of the local body elections on the demand of the People’s Party Parliamentarians.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi and MPA Ayaz Soomro of the PPP said that earlier Sindh government officers had been assigned the responsibility but now officials of the Water and Power Development Authority, the income tax department, railways and other federal government departments would act as presiding officers.

They said the PPP had made a ‘credible reconciliation offer’ to the Sindh National Front in connection with the elections but it had been turned down. They said the election alliance between the SNF and the Pakistan Muslim League had vindicated their stand that pro-government candidates enjoyed meagre support among the councillors elect.

They expressed the hope that candidates of the Awam Dost Group would win the elections.

They said the Sindh chief minister had visited Larkana five times during the election process. They accused the chief minister of using state machinery to harass candidates of the Awam Dost Group. They alleged that the campaign against the opposition candidates was being run from Larkana district police officer’s office and the superintendent of police, investigation, was also involved in it. Senator Abbasi said he had told the DPO about the activities of one of his subordinates but in vain.

Mr Soomro said the chief election commissioner had been told about the situation and the Ratodero tehsil police officer had been appointed inquiry officer but the results of the inquiry were still awaited.

The PPP leaders said the Larkana district coordination officer had been sent on forced leave till Oct 7 and the Qambar-Shahdadkot DPO had been transferred, which showed ‘open interference’ of the government in the election process.

ALLIANCE: The efforts for closer ties between the PPP and the SNF failed with the front’s alliance with the PML on Monday. The arrangement had the backing of the chief minister and it vindicated his stand that SNF chief Mumtaz Ali Bhutto would have only one option — to ally with the ruling party.