DADU: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Liaquat Ali Jatoi has said that his party rejects delimitations for local bodies carried out in wards and union councils of Dadu, Johi, Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah towns without taking the opposition into confidence.

Mr Jatoi, a former chief minister of Sindh, said at a press conference after five-hour long meeting with supporters and party workers at his residence in Betto Jatoi village of Mehar taluka on Sunday that district election commissioner and Dadu deputy commissioner had conducted delimitations of the wards and UCs of the entire district in violation of rules and in a way that favoured only a few individuals and a particular party.

He alleged that the DC, his subordinates, SDMs and mukhtiarkars had played a negative role in connivance with district election commissioner to deprive majority of people of their right to vote independently. He claimed that the election commissioner and DC frequented bungalows of ruling party leaders. The manipulation in delimitations had reduced 8,000 out of 10,000 votes in 24 wards of the city, he lamented.

PTI leader Sadaqat Ali Jatoi, Sardar Ashiq Ali Zounr, Mehboob Khan Loond and others also spoke.

The gathering unanimously passed a resolution, rejecting delimitations of the entire district and said the party considered it pre-poll rigging.

It alleged that DC Sami Shaikh, his subordinates, SDMs and mukhtiarkars had maneuvered the delimitations in connivance with the election commissioner, Agha Toufiq Ahmed. The gathering resolves unanimously that the DC be transferred immediately, otherwise, the party will hold rallies and sit-ins and then a complete shutdown in the district as last resort, according to the resolution.

It urged the chief election commissioner to hold an independent inquiry against officers of the Dadu election commission and rectify all illegal changes made in the delimitations to ensure free and fair election.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2022