PPP questions neutrality of Sindh’s caretaker govt

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has claimed that Sindh’s caretaker government and the administrations of Badin and other districts of the province have been hampering the party’s election campaign.

PPP leader Taj Haider, who heads the party’s Central Election Cell, told a news conference at the PPP media cell that the interim set-up should take note of the steps being taken against the party in Sindh’s different districts, warning of moving the court if their concerns go unheeded.

Haider said that without verifying facts, the home department recently issued a circular accusing the PPP of planning to commit violence in District Badin ahead of and on the day of the general elections.

He said PPP candidate Gul Muhammad Jakhrani and party supporter Ameer Bakhsh Umrani were unduly named in the circular to slander them, adding that the caretaker government has demonstrated its bias against the PPP by issuing the circular.

Haider said the interim Sindh chief minister should order an investigation to ascertain what led to the release of the circular, adding that the Badin administration has been taking steps against the PPP.

He said the candidates, leaders and supporters of the party are not being provided with any security cover in the district, adding that efforts are under way for rigging the polls in Sindh on a large scale.

The PPP leader said a conspiracy has been hatched to keep the progressive political parties of the country away from the electoral process and to harass the people so they avoid attending the parties’ public meetings.

He appealed to the caretaker government to take notice of the “private militia” being maintained by anti-PPP politician Arbab Ghulam Rahim, while another anti-PPP candidate in District Sanghar has been running his electoral campaign using a convoy of vehicles bearing green registration plates.

The PPP Sindh general secretary informed the media that the party will observe a day of mourning on Sunday across the country to protest against the recent wave of terrorism that has claimed the lives of many innocent people.