LARKANA, April 24: The vice president of PML-F for Larkana city, Mushtaque Ansari, with a PML-F candidate Lala Asghar Shaikh announced on Wednesday that they were joining the PPP.

They made the announcement in the presence of former Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro who said that he welcomed the decision.

Speaking on the occasion, former speaker defended PPP’s decision of striking off certain office bearers from Larkana who had defied the party’s decision by not withdrawing their nomination papers.

He said that there were no differences in the ranks of PPP, adding that even when in the days of the late Benazir Bhutto, party workers had contested against PPP ticket holders. He said that the current fissures in the party would be short lived and said that they would settle down after election since public was the best judge.

Answering a question, Mr Khuhro said that former PPP MPA Haji Munawar, who is contesting as an independent candidate, had not been awarded a party ticket so there was no question of taking it back from him. However, he confirmed reports that former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had been included in the meetings with Haji Munwar Ali Abbasi to try in vain to convince his son, Moazzim Ali Abbasi, to not contest against the PPP candidate.

Former speaker said that terrorists were trying to intimidate liberal parties including the PPP, Awami National Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement by attacking their election campaigns but the parties’ return to the parliament would foil their ill designs. He said that controlling law and order was a challenge for the caretakers set up which enjoyed the support of all political parties.