SUKKUR: Both the Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah conspicuously ignored MPA Ali Nawaz Mahar’s emphatic demand for a special package for the development of Ghotki district at a public meeting in Khangarh organised by the influential Mahar family on Friday.

The MPA raised the demand for the package during his welcome address in the presence of Mr Zardari and the chief minister but when it was their turn at the dais they did not utter a word about it much to the disappointment of Mahars.

The MPA thought better of taking notice of the slight when he talked to journalists after the end of the gathering and instead took questions about the current situation.

Asked about reasons behind putting his name on the Exist Control List, he said that he did not have any idea and he only came to know of it through media.

Vengeful actions were being taken against the PPP but “we are with the party and will continue to back it in all circumstances”.

He said in answer to a question about his brothers Ali Gohar Mahar and Ali Moham-mad Mahar that they were independent in their decisions.

When Mr Zardari arrived in Khangarh PPP MPA Ali Nawaz Mahar presented him as gift five best breeds of camels.

Selective accountability will create chaos, says Rahu

BADIN: Sindh Minister for Agriculture Mohammad Ismail Rahu has warned that selective accountability will only create chaos in the country and asked federal government to also put names of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders and lawmakers facing NAB inquiries on exit control list before threatening Pakistan Peoples Party leaders of arrest.

Mr Rahu said in a press statement and in an interview with this reporter that the ‘puppet government’ was trying to create political instability through ugly tactics.

“The PPP leaders Bilawal Bhutto-Zard­ari, Asif Ali Zardari and other central figures are ready to face accountability provided its process is transparent,” he said.

He said that PPP was struggling to save democracy and Constitution from distortions.

It was the responsibility of all state organs to play their role to strengthen the system and avoid patronising ‘puppets’ to tinker with the Constitution with mala fide designs.

He said that those who had imposed present rulers on the country should have spent some time to train them as well in statecraft and governance.

He outright rejected media reports about possible changes in Sindh cabinet after the startling revelations of the JIT report leaked to media a day before and said that the party leaders were ready to face inquiries though the ‘puppets’ and some other forces were trying their best to create difficulties for the provincial government, which had received huge mandate to govern and serve Sindh for five years.

He said that all oppressive forces had in their turn unleashed vicious victimisation campaigns against the PPP but they miserably failed to wipe out love of Bhuttos from peoples’ hearts.

Mr Rahu dismissed reports about formation of forward bloc in the party and warned of massive reaction by public and all democratic forces if undemocratic means were used to topple the provincial government.

He said that romour-mongers should stop daydreaming and held PTI government respon­sible for large-scale devastation in Sindh because of the worst water crisis.

‘PTI is bent upon eliminating opposition’

HYDERABAD: Leaders of PPP Hyder­abad district chapter have condemned inclusion of names of the party leadership in ECL and said PTI is bent upon eliminating opposition.

In a joint statement issued here on Friday, district president Saghir Qureshi, general secretary Ali Mohammad Sehto and information secretary Ahsan Abro said that Imran Khan had wanted to get rid of opposition since he formed the government.

They said the PTI government was targeting opponents and portraying them as corrupt in order to divert peoples’ attention away from real issues and corruption of its ministers.

By doing so, the government wanted to protect Aleema Khan, Aleem Khan, Jehangir Tareen, Zulfi Bukhari and dozen others, they said.

They charged that Imran Khan had misused the millions of rupees he had received in donations for running his welfare projects and said that people wanted to know who paid monthly bills of Banigala.

His sisters had amassed wealth out of donations in and outside the country and the fine of Rs30m against Aleema Khan indicated the size of wealth she had amassed, they said and warned the PTI government to desist from trying patience of PPP activists.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2018