HYDERABAD, Dec 24: A five-member delegation of International Republican Institute (IRI) met with MQM zonal incharge Mohammad Sharif, joint zonal incharge Sabir Qureshi, members of the zonal committee and MQM candidates for NA-219, NA-220, NA-221 and PS-45, PS-46, PS-47, PS-48, PS-49 and PS-50 on Sunday and discussed election related matters with them.
The delegation is comprised of Mr Oney Boon Keong (Malaysia), Crispy Kaheru (Uganda), Ms Roosaini (Singapore), Ms Sameera (USA) and Zulfiqar Halepoto.
Mohammad Sharif informed the delegation that when the MQM chief Altaf Hussain started struggle for the rights of 98 per cent oppressed people of the country, an operation was launched against the party in which thousands of workers were eliminated in extra-judicial killings.
He said Altaf Hussain’s own elder brother, Nasir Hussain and his nephew, Arif Hussain were also murdered.
He said despite these atrocities, Altaf Hussain has not given up the struggle and the movement has now spread to all the four provinces.
He informed the IRI delegation that MQM had also established its units in 36 countries of the world. He said MQM was deadly against all types of extremism especially religious extremism.
He said the party was also striving for the rights of minorities which was included in its manifesto.
Answering a question, the MQM candidates said that they were holding corner meetings in a peaceful manner in all the union councils. They said the MQM had also established Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation to serve the downtrodden masses.
MMA: The IRI delegation also met with the central leader MMA, Sahibzada Abul Khair Muhammad Zubair who is contesting election on NA-220 and other party candidates.
Sahibzada Zubair told the delegation that pre-poll rigging had already started in Hyderabad as their banners were being removed and they were not even allowed to distribute handbills.
He said election rules were being violated as wall chalking had been done on the polling stations and many a transfer of police officers had been made.
He further alleged that all the taluka and UC nazims and councillors were running the campaign of their candidates and the entire government machinery and influence was being used by their opponents.
He regretted that complaints had been sent to the Election Commission on many occasions but there was no response. He said the Election Commission was either partisan or helpless.
He said as long as the Sindh governor and the nazims who belonged to a particular organisation were there, free, fair and transparent elections cannot be held in Sindh.
TANDO ALLAHYAR: Reports reaching here said the IRI team also visited Tando Allahyar and met with the candidates of PPP, MQM and other political parties.
Except the PML-Q candidates, the other candidates expressed no confidence in the district government and termed it as a ‘B-team’ of the government.
They demanded that the district government should be suspended.
Meanwhile, the JUI Tando Allahyar chapter at a meeting held on Monday has decided to support PML-Q and Azad Mgsi Ittehad candidates for PS-51 and PS-52, Mir Mohammad Ghulam alias Mir Pappu and Dr Irfan Gul Magsi.
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