HYDERABAD: The widow of late MPA Syed Mohsin Shah Bukhari has been given the Pakistan Peoples Party ticket to contest the upcoming by-elections on the Sindh Assembly seat PS-53 in Tando Muhammad Khan.

Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Navid Qamar, who belongs to the same district, announced this on Sunday while briefing the media in Tando Muhammad Khan.

“The decision was made by the party's parliamentary board,” the minister informed. Earlier, a family dispute had arose between Syeda Waheeda Shah Bibi, wife of the late MPA, and Syed Aijaz Nabi Shah, his cousin, as to who will contest from that constituency.

The PPP ladies wing, Tando Muhammad Khan chapter, took out a rally few days back and demanded of the party to let the widow of the late MPA contest the elections. The by-elections are scheduled to take place in PS-53 on February 25.

The last date of filing the nomination papers is February 7. “Bukhari gave exemplary sacrifices for the party and stood it in good stead through the periods of struggle against the dictatorial regimes and oppression by the political opponents,” said Qamar.

He recalled that Bukhari was elected as MPA 5 times since 1988 and also served as the food minister in the provincial cabinet. When asked about the differences among the party leaders which had arose about obtaining the ticket, the minister said that the parliamentary board's decision was paramount than what any other leader or worker wished.

“The PPP is a democratic party and it respects the wishes of its workers but the decision are always taken on merit,” he said. The minister was accompanied by the PPP leaders including Haji Ameen Lakho, Syed Aijaz Nabi Shah, advocate Muhammad Ali Qureshi and others.