KARACHI: Rejecting once again the 2024 General Elections, the Grand Democratic Alliance on Friday announced that a “black day” would be observed across the province on Feb 8 against the “fake” polls.

A press release said that an important meeting of the GDA core committee was held at Raja House under the chairmanship of Pir Sahib Pagara Sibghatullah Shah Rashdi, and decided to observe the black day against the ‘bogus’ elections.

The meeting participants also expressed concern over the 26th Constitutional Amendment and said that it had created a constitutional crisis in the country because the “judges were being appointed on their political affiliations”.

The meeting said that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) laws were a ban on freedom of expression and free journalism.

The GDA core committee in its meeting also rejected the decision to establish six more new canals from the Indus River.

Rejects Peca tweaks, expresses concern over 26th Constitutional Amendment

They proposed to hold a public meeting in Karachi under the chairmanship of Pir Pagara.

GDA secretary general Dr Safdar Abbasi said that meeting rejected the Peca laws as anti-media and anti-people. “The government wants to suppress journalism, which is the voice of the people, which no one can do,” he added.

Mr Abbasi said that people of the country would never accept any curbs on media in any case. “We demand that the controversial law be withdrawn immediately,” he said.

The meeting also expressed concern over ‘illegal’ allotment of thousands of acres of agricultural land in Umarkot, Dadu, Badin, Khairpur, Thatta, Ghotki and other districts of the province and condemned the provincial government for the allotment of land for corporate farming.

The GDA secretary general said that the meeting rejected the amendment to the Irsa Act to draw six more canals from the Indus River, calling it more dangerous for the province than the Kalabagh Dam.

He said that meeting decided to further intensify the awareness campaign in the province against the “anti-Sindh project”.

Dr Abbassi said that the meeting expressed serious concern over the worst law and order situation and kidnapping for ransom in the province.

He said that they also expressed serious concern over the inefficiency of health, education, agriculture and local government institutions in the province.

The GDA secretary said that the meeting proposed to Pir Sahib Pagara to hold a public meeting in Karachi, which was seriously considered.

The meeting also discussed demands of teachers from universities across the province.

The meeting was attended by Syed Sadruddin Shah Rashidi, Syed Muhammad Rashid Shah, Syed Zain Shah, Dr Fehmida Mirza, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Sardar Abdul Rahim, Ayaz Latif Palijo, Masroor Jatoi, Rahila Gul Magsi, Nand Kumar Gokalani, Syed Zahid Zaidi, Mohsin Magsi and others.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2025