HYDERABAD, Feb 13: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl candidates Moulana Taj Mohammad Nahiyoon and Syed Moazzam Shah on Wednesday pulled out of election contest in favour of Ameer Ali Shah Jamote and Zahid Ali Bhurgari, Pakistan People’s Party candidates for NA-221 and PS-47, respectively.

The secretary general of JUI-F’s Sindh chapter Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro made the announcement at a press conference at the press club in the presence of party candidates, and stressed that free, fair and transparent elections could not be held as long as President Musharraf was at the helm of affairs.

He warned, however, that if elections were not held in a transparent and peaceful manner, Musharraf and his team would be responsible for consequences. Musharraf government was to blame for the assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto as it was government’s responsibility to protect her life, he said.

He supported the PPP’s demand for the United Nations-led investigation into the death of Ms Bhutto.—Correspondent