SHIKARPUR, March 18: Leaders of the PML-F have accused Sindh PPP leadership of adopting political tactics for pre-polling rigging by holding meetings with the Sindh governor at Governor House to nominate the care taker chief minister with the mutual consent of the MQM.

Addressing a press conference held at Shaikh House here on Monday, they said PPP leaders approached members of Mahar, Kamariyo and Shaikh groups for joining the PPP.

The party also offered them tickets for contesting the forthcoming general elections on MNA and MPA seats in all the constituencies of district Shikarpur. This was the clear evidence that the PPP had lost its importance in Sindh in the aftermath of passing the anti-Sindh dual Local Government Ordinance and ‘sale out’ of sea islands before ending the Sindh government tenure.

Those who spoke on the occasion included former federal minister Ghous Bux Mahar, PML-F secretary-general Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh and former adviser Zulfiqar Ali Kamaryo.

They expressed apprehensions that free and free elections could not be held in this situation when the Sindh PPP chief minister and the provincial governor seemed busy for nominating their favourite caretaker chief minister.

In this regard, they said, the names proposed by the Functional League were not being brought for consideration.

The PML-F leaders advised the PPP leadership to avoid using foul means and methods for cheating people and other political parties to achieve victory in the forthcoming general elections.

The PPP would not be allowed to violate the election rules and regulations by the people of Sindh, they said.

The leaders said the Functional League believed in free and fair elections and under the able guidance of the Peer Sahib Pagara, candidates of the PML-F, NPP, JUI and other nationalist parties would contest elections in the larger interests of the people of Sindh.

In reply to a question, Ghous Bux Mahar said the Functional League, NPP and nationalist parties would jointly support their candidates on MNA and MPA seats in Shikarpur against PPP candidates.

Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh announced that he would fight election on PS-11 Shikarpur against his brother Maqbool Ahmed Shaikh, who has recently joined the PPP, if his brother was given the PPP ticket to contest election for the same seat.

Answering a question, Imtiaz Shaikh said that all the wrong and illegal actions taken by the Sindh PPP government would be challenged in the High Court in the interests of the people of Sindh.