Ghani demands PM, governor be suspended till Ghotki by-election held

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani has called for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to suspend the prime minister, the Sindh governor and two federal ministers from their jobs for violating the ECP’s code of conduct until the by-election was held for the vacant National Assembly’s constituency of Ghotki district.

Ghani made the demand as he spoke to media persons on Thursday. He lauded the fact that the ECP had issued show-cause notices to the PM, governor and federal ministers for visiting Ghotki after the schedule for the by-election had been announced, which was in violation of the ECP’s code of conduct. He, however, added that mere show-cause notices were not enough and those who violated the code of conduct should be suspended.

The vacant constituency of Ghotki, NA-205, has fallen vacant after the death of Grand Democratic Alliance’s Ali Mohammad Khan Mahar who had been serving as the federal minister for narcotics control in the incumbent federal government. He also earlier served as the chief minister of Sindh during Musharraf’s era.

The local government minister was of the view that nothing would come of show-cause notices. “Our demand is that the prime minister, the Sindh governor, and the two federal ministers should remain suspended till the completion of the process of by-election,” he said.

Ghani informed the media that the day earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan, accompanied by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and two federal ministers, visited Ghotki on the pretext of offering condolences as there they met there the candidate who was going to contest the by-election.

“This candidate made certain demands to the prime minister and in response the prime minister advised him to remain in contact with the Sindh governor.” The local government minister alleged that the PM and others had gone to Ghotki to influence the by-election; therefore, only issuing show-cause notices to them was not enough.

Responding to a question regarding reports circulating about the possible arrest of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Ghani said the present rulers in the Centre had complete liberty to arrest whomsoever they wanted to arrest.

He alleged that the National Accountability Bureau and its chairman had been doing the rulers’ bidding and the bureau would arrest anyone whom the federal government wanted to be behind the bars.

Ghani said all the MPAs of treasury benches in the Sindh Assembly had complete trust in the CM and he would not be replaced. “In case Murad Ali Shah is arrested, we will adopt all due course of action as prescribed in the Constitution and the law but till now such reports are far from reality,” he remarked.