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LARKANA: The recently-formed Larkana Awami Ittehad (LAI) on Tuesday announced the holding of its first public rally in Larkana on Aug 24 “to expose inept functionaries of the provincial government” and highlight the unresolved issues being faced by the people of Larkana division.
The decision was taken at a meeting of all key leaders of the alliance in Pir Jo Goth, about six kilometres from here, under the chairmanship of its convener, former PPP MPA Haji Munawwar Ali Abbasi. Other prominent political figures who attended the meeting included former adviser to the prime minister Amir Bakhsh Bhutto, former Larkana mayor Qurban Ali Abbasi, Akbar Shah Rashdi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, former Larkana PPP district general secretary Nazir Ahmed Shaikh, former Larkana PPP taluka general secretary Syed Deedar Shah, Shafqat Hussain Unnar of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Ayaz Jafferi and Niaz Abro.
After discussing at length the political situation obtaining in the country with particular reference to the next local government elections in Sindh, the meeting demanded use of biometric system to ensure transparency and minimise chances of rigging in the polling process.
The LAI convener endorsed the participants’ demand that the LG election should be held under the supervision of the military and paramilitary troops so that people could cast their votes with confidence in a secure environment. He announced that the alliance would field its candidates across Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts.
The meeting noted with concern that the PPP-led provincial government failed to look after the flood-affected population and tackle the related issues, besides ensuring cleanliness in Larkana city and its sub-divisional headquarters.
It constituted a committee headed by Babu Sarfraz Jatoi to finalise the LAI manifesto and present the draft at the alliance’s meeting scheduled for Sept 11.
The meeting appreciated National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigations into corruption by high- and low-ranking government functionaries.
It also called for extending the Rangers authority to the entire Sindh.
The participants also noted that entire top PPP leadership had fled the country leaving the people at the mercy of nature in the hour of need to escape investigations into corruption.
The Larkana Shahri Ittehad (LSI) has also supported the LAI plan for the Aug 24 rally.
Meanwhile, Amir Bakhsh Bhutto of the PML-N visited some flood-hit kutcha areas in the district and distributed relief goods among the marooned people. Speaking to them, he accused PPP leaders and lawmakers of discrimination with their political opponents in distributing relief goods among affected people.
“They are ignoring their opponents in Keti Mumtaz and distributing relief goods among those not affected by rains and flooding,” he alleged.
Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2015
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