HYDERABAD: The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Sindh United Party (SUP) on Tuesday agreed to formulate a joint strategy on issues of Sindh and counter Pakistan Peoples Party’s destructive policies.

The understanding came at a meeting between top leaderships of GDA and SUP in Jamshoro.

A GDA delegation comprising its newly-appointed secretary general Dr Safdar Abbasi, Sardar Abdul Rahim, Barrister Husnain Mirza and some other leaders discussed issues of LG elections and the local government law at the residence of SUP chairman Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah, where other SUP leaders including Roshan Ali Buriro, Ameer Ali Thebo and Ameer Azad Panhwar were also present.

Later, at a joint press briefing, Jalal Shah said they agreed to raise issues of Sindh in consultation with GDA leadership. He said GDA and SUP would formulate a joint strategy on issues of Sindh that would focus ‘Sindh agenda’, adding that such consultations between the two entities would continue.

He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had announced local government elections amid a volatile political situation. “We believe that it’s being done to benefit PPP in the LG elections. This also shows mala fide intention of Sindh government,” he said.

According to Mr Shah, the LG law is unclear. Devolution of powers at grass root level should be done for the welfare of the masses, he stressed.

He said the GDA and SUP considered Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s pacts with PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as ‘anti-Sindh’. “We both reject the policy that is aimed at benefiting a particular political party and is tantamount to promoting ethnicity,” he added.

The SUP chief called for the formation of a provincial finance commission to disburse financial resources at district, taluka and union council levels.

On his part, GDA secretary general Dr Safdar Abbasi said that PPP had destroyed Sindh during its 15 years of rule over the province. All cities have been destroyed and people do not get any facility. People of Sindh will hold PPP accountable.

Paying rich tributes to his predecessor as GDA secretary general, Ayaz Latif Palijo, Dr Abbasi said he rendered tremendous services to the alliance. He said Mr Palijo was still part of the GDA though he had some reservations which he had shared with the leadership of the alliance.

Dr Abbasi expressed his intention to bring more Sindh-friendly and representative parties to the GDA fold.

“I would like to make nationalist parties, particularly SUP, part of the GDA, which wants to end [PPP’s] hegemony in Sindh, and continue our political work,” he said. He said GDA was in consonance with SUP over the issue of LG law.

He wondered how the ECP issued a schedule for the first phase of LG elections in Sindh while Sindh government had not yet notified the select committee for bringing the LG law in conformity with the Article 140-A of the Constitution under the relevant order of Supreme Court.

He pointed out that Sindh government had held talks with Jamaat-i-Islami and Pak Sarzameen Party after their separate agitation against the present LG law and agreed to bring certain amendments to it in consultation with these parties. However, no such notification had been issued as yet, he regretted.

Dr Abbasi said the GDA had already filed an application for becoming intervener in a petition seeking implementation of the SC order on the LG law issue.

“GDA believes that the first phase of local government elections could not be held because there is no clarity about the LG law. How could elections be held amid a temperature rising up to 52 degrees Celsius in the province?” he argued.

He alleged that Sindh government wanted to keep people away from polling stations so that it could easily rig the elections and get favourable results.

The GDA and SUP leaders condemned registration of a sedition case against participants of GM Syed’s 27th death anniversary programme at Sann on Monday evening.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2022