KARACHI: The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) on Wednesday hinted at forming a larger electoral alliance for the upcoming general elections mainly against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to bring an end to its 15-year rule of “corruption and bad governance” in Sindh.

The multi-party alliance also asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold fresh delimitation before the general elections and called it the hypocrisy of the PPP, which on one hand ‘approved’ the results of digital census in the Council of Common Interest and on the other demanding polls within 90 days.

“The PPP was a member of the CCI and well aware of consequences of the approval of the digital census,” said Dr Safdar Abbasi of the GDA while addressing a press conference at PML-Functional House.

“Now they’re only doing political point scoring to come clean. We want timely elections and are ready for them whenever they’re held. But definitely, there are issues which are needed to be fixed before the elections.”

He said the people of Sindh from Kashmore to Karachi had suffered due to corruption and bad governance of the PPP. Karachi and other parts of Sindh, he said, have been ruined.

“The 15-year rule of the PPP has proved to be a disastrous period for Sindh and it’s time that the forces who want peace and prosperity in Sindh join hands together.

“So we are doing our effort for a larger alliance to put up a political fight against the PPP and bring a change in Sindh,” he said.

The GDA leaders, including former MNA Saira Bano, Sardar Abdul Rahim and Irfanullah Marwat also blamed the PPP for promoting a culture of corruption and making a parallel system of governance based on nepotism, bribery and political discrimination.

“The PPP government sold even a job of sweeper in government departments,” said Mr Marwat.

“There’s nothing without money in Sindh. The whole government system is being run on bribery and corruption for the last 15 years and it’s time for real change.”

Sardar Rahim said that the PPP rule had not only ruined the social and economic fabric of the province, but also had created a wide gulf between urban and rural areas triggering hatred among the people of the second largest province of the country.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2023