GDA, PTI to field joint candidate in NA-213 Umerkot by-poll

The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), Save the Indus River Movement and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have announced that they will field a joint candidate to contest the upcoming by-election in the NA-213 Umerkot constituency that fell vacant after the death of senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur last month.

The announcement to this effect was made by the chief coordinator of the GDA, Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi, as he spoke to media persons on Sunday after chairing a political meeting that was attended by leaders of the GDA and its allies.

Rashdi announced that Lal Malhi would be the joint candidate of the opposition parties in the upcoming by-election in the NA-213constituency. He also invited the chairman of the PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, to join the ongoing opposition-led protest drive in Sindh against the proposed construction of six new canals on the Indus River. He opined that Bilawal choosing to be on the side of the opposition's ongoing protest campaign would prove his sincerity to the cause of opposing the construction of new canals.

Bilawal choosing to remain on the side of his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, would be meaningless, the GDA leader said as he alleged that President Zardari was involved in allowing the canals project.

Answering a question, Rashdi said that recognition of the genuine mandate of the people was a pre-requisite for resolving the troubled situation in Balochistan. He suggested that talks should be held to amicably resolve the problems in Balochistan through political means.

The GDA leader also lamented the worsening economic situation in the country and failure of the present rulers to properly manage the national economy. Answering another question, he said the GDA would be on the side of every pro-Pakistan political party.

PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, GDA’s Safar Abbasi and Sardar Abdur Rahim, and others were also present on the occasion.