KARACHI, May 26: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Sindh chapter, met at the residence of PPP leader Syed Qaim Ali Shah here on Friday to discuss various issues.

Besides endorsing the strike call given by the Ahl-i-Sunnat parties for Saturday, the meeting discussed law and order in Sindh, political scenario of the province, price-hike, poverty, persisting water and power crisis, sugar crisis, military operation in Balochistan, etc.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Mr Shah said it was observed that the government had failed to restore law and order in Sindh, especially Karachi where people were being killed, abducted and looted every day.

He said the government’s failure was evident from its helplessness in apprehending those involved in the Nishtar Park blast, adding that the 15 component parties of the ARD had, therefore, decided to support the Ahl-i-Sunnat’s strike call for Saturday.

In reply to a question, the PPP leader said that the political crisis in Sindh was nothing but an internal rift between two coalition partners. He saw a similar rift in the federal government where, according to him a forward bloc was opposing the ruling party’s policies. He ruled out possibility of PPP’s talks with the government on the crisis in Sindh.

“PPP will not hold talks with the provincial or federal government to protect the Sindh coalition at any stage,” he categorically stated.

Mr Shah claimed that the federal and Sindh governments had lost people’s confidence, and called for holding fresh elections under an impartial caretaker set up.

He reiterated the ARD’s stand that it would not accept elections under the supervision of General Pervez Musharraf.

Zain Ansari, Rashid Rabbani, Basharat Mirza and Rafique Engineer were among others who attended the meeting.—PPI