HYDERABAD: Outraged over a vitriolic attack against Aslam Bhootani and Saleh Bhootani — politicians hailing from Balochistan — by a Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Ali Hassan Zehri, Chuttho community representatives from Sindh and Balochistan held a gathering here on Friday to condemn his remarks. They urged PPP leadership to expel Ali Zehri from the party.

The gathering was organised by Dr Abdul Majeed Chuttho and Gullan Chuttho in a wedding hall.

The outrage was caused by a viral video showing Zehri using quite a harsh language against the Bhootanis.

According to Dr Majeed, Ali Hassan Zehri who is contesting in Feb 8 elections on a PPP ticket in Balochistan had passed indecent remarks against Aslam Bhootani, an independent candidate vying for NA-257, and his brother, Saleh Bhootani, seeking the PB-21 seat as a Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) candidate.

The gathering expressed solidarity with Bhootani brothers in a resolution that also urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur to expel Ali Hassan Zehri from the party. The resolution said that Zehri should tender public apology without delay.

It said that if PPP didn’t take this matter seriously, then the Chuttho community would review its ties with PPP in the Feb 8 general elections. The meeting called upon Zehri tribal chief Sanaullah Zehri to make Ali Hassan behave to in order to defuse tension.

They said the Bhootani brothers had been winning elections for 40 years peacefully and the fact has “upset some so-called leaders, thus they want to make the elections controversial”. They vowed to continue their protest till PPP leadership and Zehri tribal chief take notice of the matter.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2024

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