KARACHI: Members of the Sindh Assembly belonging to three opposition parties in the province have been moved to a private hotel ahead of March 3 Senate election.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) made arrangements for their provincial lawmakers’ stay at one place in view of their security. They would go to the Sindh Assembly together on Wednesday (tomorrow) to cast their votes in the election.

On Monday evening, PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman told a press conference that three MPAs of his party were allegedly abducted as their phones were switched off and they were not even in touch with their families.

“These missing members told some of our members that they were being intimidated in various ways and were offered to sell votes a few days ago,” he said.

However, he only identified one of the three MPAs as Karim Bakhsh Gabol. A video statement of Mr Gabol was posted on social media earlier in the day in which he said that he would not give his vote to PTI’s Senate candidate.

“We believe that the PPP government in Sindh has played this whole game,” Mr Sher Zaman said, adding: “The statement was made by intimidating and pressuring Karim Bakhsh Gabol. We have no information about the whereabouts of Karim Bakhsh Gabol and the other two members.”

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2021