Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) criticizes Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PT) for making “baseless claims” over Sindh municipal elections.
PPP Local Governtment Polls:
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party stated Thursday that the Sindh administration never asked delay of the second round of local government elections in Sindh and a by-election in Karachi, but propaganda had been initiated against the provincial government.
Shazia Atta Marri, federal minister for poverty alleviation and social safety, and Faisal Karim Kundi, secretary of information, stated the Sindh government drained rainwater and cleaned Karachi.
Imran Khan started making false claims against Asif Ali Zardari, she said. She noted that political turbulence in Punjab, which doesn’t involve the PPP, has scared and bewildered PTI leaders.
Marri said no PPP candidate was running in Punjab and Khan’s children weren’t Pakistani, while labeling us imported. She said Imran Niazi, who doesn’t have children, is lecturing us.
She regretted that Khan is using a fake religious card to divide the nation and promote anarchy. She stated religious cards had been used before.
She said the PTI didn’t run in most Sindh local elections. “Joining Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf is regarded halal, while joining another party is haraam,” says PTI.
Marri added that when PTI won elections, it said everything was fine, but it made bogus rigging charges when it lost. She said Khan called traitors anybody who complained about Farah Gogi and Bushra Bibi’s corruption under the PTI rule.
Khan maintained he was completely prepared and had a team of experts, but the country’s economy fell under him. She alleged Khan’s income quadrupled after becoming PM. Shaikh Rasheed’s tape asking about paying Sharqpuri was released, and he now calls it a joke.
Faisal Karim Kundi stated some PTI members said they were promised Rs250 million to switch allegiances. Why only PTI members? Aseefa Bhutto Zardari campaigned for municipal elections in Hyderabad; he said Imran Khan “may also send his daughter for the election campaign and we’ll offer full security for her.”
Kundi claimed Hamza Shahbaz Sharif will be Punjab’s CM on July 22. Sindh Labour and Human Resources Minister Saeed Ghani said in a video message that neither the Sindh government nor the PPP urged the ECP to postpone municipal elections in Karachi, Hyderabad, and Thatta.
Several provincial parties claimed the ECP postponed the polls at the behest of the Sindh government or PPP. Ghani stated the PPP would have gained from July 24 LG elections.
He stated that neither the chief minister nor the chief secretary nor any other provincial official had written to the ECP about postponing the polls.
He alleged the Sindh government and PPP delayed municipal elections for political advantage. The PPP opposed the MQM’s court request to suspend Sindh elections due to disputed census results, he recalled.
Ghani said all opposition members of the Sindh Assembly Select Committee, excluding Jamaat-e-Islami, agreed to advise postponing the polls until the local government law is changed. He said the Sindh government gave the court the parties’ consensus.
Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab, and Ghani later said the PPP never supported delaying the elections.
Later, an ECP letter recommended postponing the polls. Election officials discussed the situation with the Sindh chief secretary, deputy commissioners, and commission field officers.
The labor minister said he discussed this matter with the chief secretary, who stated he met routinely with ECP officials to provide logistical and administrative support for the polls. CS refused asking a poll postponement, he said.
The ECP recommended postponing the elections based on Meteorological Department and field officer reports.
“The PPP favored July 24 elections. We didn’t want to skip the elections after the PPP won all districts in phase one, he remarked.
The PPP won big in Sukkur, Nawabshah, and Mirpurkhas. Hyderabad will have second-phase municipal elections because 25 PPP UC chairs won unopposed.
He stated the PPP can win in Karachi better than in 2015. Ghani said PPP candidates and activists were disappointed.
The ECP explained why elections were postponed, thus the PPP shouldn’t be responsible.
Sindh government spokesperson Barrister Murtaza Wahab said Thursday that the ECP postponed the LG polls, not the PPP .
