December 13, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 2, 1428

HYDERABAD, Dec 12: All Pakistan Solangi Welfare Association Chairman Sardar Khadim Hussain Solangi said here on Wednesday that their community had been voting for candidates of different political parties since the creation of Pakistan but these politicians never addressed their problems and therefore the community had decided to field its own candidates in elections.

He was speaking at a news conference at the press club along with members of his community including the candidates.

He said the Solangis, Khaskhelis and 26 other communities of Sindh had fielded 45 candidates for different national and provincial assembly seats in the province and the Solangi community had fielded eight candidates and other candidates would be supported on the basic of reciprocity.

He claimed that the Solangi community comprised tens of thousands of people throughout Pakistan but as it has never had any representation in the assemblies nobody bothered about it problems.

He said powerful political groups always exploited the community and they approached them only at times of election but after that they forget them.

Political parties had greatly disappointed the community, he said while adding that therefore they had decided to field their own community’s candidates.

Solangi community is no longer prepared to become a fodder of other political parties, the Solangi Sardar vowed.

Announcing the names of his candidates who were present on the occasion, he said Asif Khalil would contest for PS-47 Qasimabad, Hyderabad district, Ashfaq Solangi for PS-20 Naushahro Feroze district, Abdul Jabbar Solangi PS-1 and PS-2 Sukkur district, Ghulam Murtaza Solangi for a national assembly seat of Dadu district, Ghulam Mohammad Solangi for PS-52 Chambar district Tando Allahyar, Abdul Qadir Solangi for a national assembly seat in Khairpur and Wahid Bux Solangi for Mehar seat of the provincial assembly from district Dadu.

When asked about the names of national assembly seat of Dadu and Khairpur as well as provincial assembly seat of Mehar, he looked confused and could not quote the number of national and provincial assemblies’ seats.

When asked about the exact strength of the Solangi community in Pakistan and Sindh, Sardar Khadim could only say that it was in ‘tens of thousands’. He claimed to enjoy the support of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in PS-47 Qasimabad, Hyderabad, and in Dadu and Khairpur districts.