KARACHI, Jan 1: The Sindh Bachayo Committee on Tuesday demanded that President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf announce a new date for the general elections immediately to foil efforts to sabotage the due polls in the country.

The demand was made by SBC senior vice chairman Syed Shah Mohammad Shah while speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club.

Referring to Dr Tahirul Qadri’s call for a long march on Jan 14, he said that the Tehreek Minhajul Quran chief was talking about corruption of the government but was shaking hands with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement that had been in power since the rule of Gen Pervez Musharraf.

Mr Shah said if the TMQ chief was sincere in his claim of launching a drive against corruption and misrule, he ought to stage a sit-in outside the Governor’s House in Karachi rather than in Islamabad.

He said Dr Qadri was joining hands with those who were supporters of the Sindh People’s Local Government law, which would virtually divide Sindh.

He said nationalist parties in Sindh would consider taking part in the long march if the TMQ chief announced his detachment from the MQM and announce that his party favoured holding of elections on time.

The SBC said patriotic forces would not allow the corrupt elements to run away from elections through manipulation.

Mr Shah said measles outbreak had left over 250 children dead in Sindh due to negligence of MQM health minister Dr Saghir Ahmad who instead of paying attention to check measles was busy in making arrangements to accord warm welcome to Dr Qadri at the MQM headquarters, Nine Zero, in Azizabad.