KARACHI, Dec 12: The foundations of a forward bloc within the People’s Party Parliamentarians in Sindh were laid on Thursday.

The development took place after successful manipulation by the King’s party to carve out support for its nominee, Ali Mohammad Mahar, for the CM’s post in Sindh, and it managed to wean away a weakling of the People’s Party Parliamentarians and an independent from their political moorings, who lent their support to Mahar.

In a late-night development, the PPP turncoat from Ghotki, Razzaq Mahar, and Jam Dost Mohammad Memon, an office-bearer of the Sarwari Jamaat from Mirpurkhas, who had won as an independent from Kunri, after defeating the brother of Mir Munawar Talpur, appeared before newsmen at the residence of GNA’s nominee for the top job.

Razaq Mahar criticised policies of the present provincial leadership which, he claimed, had failed to protect the rights and interest of the people at large. He said that Benazir Bhutto was still his leader but he was supporting Ali Mohammad Mahar due to family links as well. The two MPAs said they were supporting Mahar in the larger interest of the people of their constituency. They did not say they had joined the ruling party.

Earlier in the day, Mahar had told newsmen that he would welcome the PPP turncoats if they joined hands with his government.

The PPP MPA’s act of parting company with his party in the provincial assembly, is yet another serious blow to the PPP since Faisal Saleh Hayat led the coup against the leadership in the National Assembly.