PTI to get nothing out of making Aseefa’s win controversial: Saeed Ghani

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Saeed Ghani Sunday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would achieve nothing out of making Aseefa Bhutto Zardari’s unopposed victory on the NA-207 seat controversial.

Talking to journalists in Karachi, the Sindh minister for local bodies said the PPP had always been winning on the NA-207 in Nawabshah constituency with a wide margin. He said the PPP won the seat in a landslide victory even in 2018, when the PTI made a government in the centre.

President Asif Zardari’s daughter, Aseefa was elected as a member of the National Assembly (MNA) in the Shaheed Benazirabad (former Nawabshah-I) constituency on March 29, following which the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified her election as an NA lawmaker without any contest.

It is noteworthy to mention here that 11 candidates, including Aseefa, had filed their nomination papers to contest the by-poll on the aforementioned seat vacated by President Zardari who assumed office after being jointly nominated by the ruling coalition.

Returning Officer Sher Ali Jamali had said nomination papers of seven independent candidates were rejected and the PTI independent candidate Sardar Sher Muhammad, who secured the second position in general election, did not appeal against rejection of his nomination papers.

Commenting on the February 8 general elections, Ghani said Zardari secured a lead of 50,000 votes on the Nawabshah seat.

No candidate stood any chance against Aseefa as an opponent would have got just 5,000 votes, he said, adding that she would have secured more votes than her father, if contested.

Ghani also rejected the claim that they abducted the PTI-backed candidate Ghulam Mustafa Rind, terming it as "baseless".

The PPP leader said nomination papers of PTI-backed candidate Sher Muhammad Rind and his son were rejected by the electoral body.

Ghani claimed that Mustafa did not pay electricity utility dues, adding that his nomination papers would have been restored if he had submitted the arrears.

He said that the candidate did not pay his bill for fear of defeat.

Meanwhile, he said that Sher Muhammad's documents were rejected for absconding in Balochistan and he did not appeal the decision.

Ghani also said the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Grand Democratic Alliance were defeated throughout Sindh in the elections. He dared JUI-F candidates to show any Form-45 in their favour in the province.