‘Corrupt politicians being allowed to contest polls again’

Sindh United Party (SUP) chief Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah has expressed apprehension over the scrutiny of the nomination forms for the July 25 general elections, saying that corrupt politicians have been allowed to participate again.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Shah asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to take measures to make the polls free, fair and transparent. He said that if their reservations are not taken seriously, people can lose confidence in the democratic behaviour of the state. “PPP [Pakistan Peoples Party] nominees seem to enjoy a free hand in Sindh, as despite their role in corruption in the past 10 years, they have been allowed to contest the elections,” he said.

“The dual nationals and corrupt persons listed in the FIA [Federal Investigation Agency] and NAB [National Accountability Bureau] reports have been approved, and unfair decisions have been made against those who opposed their nomination.”

He accused the PPP nominees of using money to pave the way for themselves, and said they can influence the entire electoral process because of their corruption. He claimed that the SUP’s 33 candidates on the provincial assembly seats and 11 candidates on the National Assembly seats across the province will give a tough competition to the PPP.

“People of Sindh have become fed up with Asif Ali Zardari’s PPP mafia, and now a change is an inevitable reality,” he said. “We expect the people to use their vote in their best national interests, as the coming times are for safeguarding these interests in the assemblies.”

Fielding its candidates from Sachal and the surrounding Sindhi-populated neighbourhoods, the SUP is testing the waters in Karachi, predominantly against the PPP, which has been in power in the province for the past decade.

Led by Shah, grandson of prominent Sindhi nationalist leader GM Syed, the SUP has awarded a ticket to its Karachi President Mehboob Abbasi to contest the elections from PS-100, a Sindh Assembly constituency comprising the areas of Sachal and Gulzar-e-Hijri.

For NA-242, the party has chosen prominent Sindhi language singer and producer Bedal Soomro. The PPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal have fielded their candidates for both seats.