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HYDERABAD, Dec 6: Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party chairman Dr Qadir Magsi said on Thursday that the party’s decision to boycott general elections had been taken in the interest of democracy.
He said at a meet the press programme in Tando Muhammad Khan that curbs on media indicated that a conspiracy had been hatched to rig general elections on a massive scale.
The gravity of situation had left Ms Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif with no other option but to boycott the elections and launch a joint struggle against the dictatorial regime, he said.
To a question, Mr Magsi said that Benazir Bhutto should support the opposition parties’ stance. The policies followed by President Musharraf had rendered Pakistan politically as well as economically bankrupt, he said.
He paid rich tributes to the judges of superior judiciary who had refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitution Order and remarked that the rulers had reduced the constitution of Pakistan to a plaything.
Central leaders of the party, Dr Abdul Hameed Memon, Hoat Khan Gadhi and Dr Ahmed Noonari were also present at the programme.
PPP: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader, Nawab Mohammad Yousuf Talpur, said on Thursday that his party was participating in the general elections under protest.
He said at a reception hosted in his honour by former nazim of union council Shaikh Bhirkio Abdul Karim Talpur that talks between PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on the issues of an independent election commission, a new caretaker set-up and restoration of undiluted democracy were in progress.
He hoped positive results would come out of the dialogues and dismissed as true reports of a new agreement signed between President Musharraf and PPP.
PPP leader and party candidate for NA-222 Tando Muhammad Khan Syed Naveed Qamar said that the democratic forces were evolving a joint strategy to ensure transparency in the Jan 8 general elections as the caretaker set-up and district governments were sparing no efforts to ensure victory for PML-Q in the elections.
He said it was essential that Benazir Bhutto was elected prime minister for she alone could pull the country from the present crisis.
Mr Talpur, president of Tando Muhammad Khan chapter of PPP Haji Mohammad Amin Lakho, party candidate for PS-53 Syed Mohsin Shah Bukhari and a large number of local party leaders and workers attended the reception.
