LARKANA: Preparations are under way for the major rivals’ last big shows of strength in Larkana at the fag end of the electioneering, ending at midnight July 24.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has planned its public meeting for July 23 and its major rival, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) for July 21.

Senior PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, who heads the party’s Sindh chapter, told a meeting of colleagues from Larkana district at his residence here on Tuesday that chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, besides many other senior leaders and party candidates, would address the July 23 show.

He said the party chief would arrive at the public meeting venue within his constituency (NA-200 Larkana-I) in a big rally of party leaders, activists and supporters that day to demonstrate PPP’s strength.

“Before the public meeting, I will also lead a rally of party workers on July 19 in Larkana, from [where] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and my daughter, Nida Khuhro, are contesting for their respective seats,” he said.

“Preparations are afoot to accord the party chief a rousing welcome,” PPP information secretary Shakeel Memon told party colleagues.

Mr Khuhro, who also spoke at different corner meetings in the city, confidently said that “Lar­kana is and will remain PPP’s stronghold,” adding that the people of Larkana would inflict worst-ever defeat to “terrorists and hooligans” in the July 25 elections.

He said PPP had great respect for [GDA chief] Pir Pagara but if he [Pir Sahib] would look around him, he would find that all those sitting in the alliance had remain­ed in the forefront of the drive for the construction of Kala­bagh dam, which PPP and all people of Sindh had long been opposing tooth and nail.

“Pro-dam rallies had been taken out in Sanghar [predominantly inhabited by disciples and followers of Pir Pagara] in the past while PPP spearheaded a sustained struggle against the dam from Karachi to Kashmore and Ubauro.

Elements within GDA were also calling for a division of Sindh, he claimed, and said Larkana could not be handed over to such people.

He said PPP would form its government in Sindh for a third tenure.

Meanwhile, GDA leaders and activists were seen busy preparing for its July 21 show of strength in the city.

In reply to a question posed by this reporter, GDA candidate for PS-12 Larkana-III Syed Akbar Shah Rashdi said that Pir Pagara was expected to address the public meeting but is programme was not finalised yet. He said other central leaders of the alliance would, however, address the audience as per the schedule.

MWM candidate retires from contest

Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) leader Allama Mushtaque Mash’hadi, who had filed his nomination papers for the NA-200 Larkana-I seat, on Monday night announced his retirement from the contest in favour of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

Allama Mash’hadi made the announcement in the presence of Nisar Ahmed Khuhro and PPP women wing president Faryal Talpur.

About a week ago, the allama at a press conference in Larkana had announced MWM’s support for PPP’s rival candidates on NA-200 and PS-11, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Sindh president Maulana Rashid Mehmood Soomro and GDA candidate Moazzam Abbasi, respectively.

In another development, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf struck a seat adjustment deal with the Larkana Awami Ittehad (LAI) to support Syed Akbar Shah Rashdi on PS-12. PTI’s candidate for the seat, Salma Parveen, would retire in his favour, a PTI statement said.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2018