UMERKOT: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf vice chair­man Makhdoom Shah Meh­mood Qureshi has said that Pakistan’s judiciary and army have decided in prin­ciple not to allow anyone to rig general election, hence Asif Ali Zardari’s tricks will not be of any use to him this time.

“Zardari, you have fielded Bilawal because we have made you ineffective but it is a wrong move. You should first disclose names of killers of Benazir Bhutto then come to beg votes from people,” said Mr Qureshi at a gathering of party workers and disciples at Pir Jo Thallo near here on Wednesday.

Activists of Hur Jamaat, Ghosia Jamaat, Jeelani Jam­aat and Sarhandi Jam­aat from Sanghar, Tharpar­kar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and other areas attended the gathering addressed by their political-cum-spiritual leaders and candidates of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA).

Mr Qureshi said that nation had awakened and now Mr Zardari’s tricks could no more work on people. In previous election, 32 polling stations in his constituency were set on fire on the directives of Mr Zardari but it would not be allowed this time, he alleged.

He said that Mr Zardari did not spare any loyal jiala, including him, Naheed Khan, Makhdoom Amin Fahim and many others. Amin Fahim used to express disappointment during his last days due to bad gover­nance and Zardari’s lust for power and money, he said.

He said that Punjab had risen up and ousted PPP. Now it was Sindh’s turn to reject PPP through ballot.

Mr Qureshi said earlier at the inauguration of a party office that only favourites among jialas had become rich overnight while 56 per cent population of Tharparkar district was living below poverty line.

He said in answer to a question that no party would become part of any anti-democratic move beca­use he saw no solution to the country’s issues except democracy. It was mere speculation that arrest of Nawaz Sharif and his daughter had increased their popularity while in reality the black spot of corruption had further enlarged and blackened their present and future politics, he said.

GDA head Pir Sahib Pagara said that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was not fond of Asif Zardari’s father Hakim Ali Zardari and expelled him from the party. In revenge, Zardari had destroyed the PPP, hence no Bhutto had been allotted party ticket in the upcoming election, he said.

He said the former president had destroyed sugar cane crop of Sindh as his lands were 100pc irrigated while entire Sindh was thirsting for water. He had snatched livelihood from thousands of peasants and growers, he said.

He said that retired Gen Musharraf had made it clear that he did not benefit from the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

Head of Arbab group and former Sindh chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim said that it was time to “bury PPP under the sand dunes of Tharparkar and Umer­kot”. All pirs had joined hands except Sarwari Jamaat of Makhdooms of Hala and now days of PPP were numbered, he said.

Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashidi said that PPP leaders were living in a fool’s paradise; they did not know how much people hated them because of bad governance and massive corruption.

Former MNA Lalchand Malhi said that Bilawal was introducing himself as son of Benazir Bhutto. “Why doesn’t he introduce himself as son of Asif Ali Zardari? Because, he knows people of Sindh hate his father,” he claimed.

Pir Taj Hussain Jeelani and Pir Ghulam Mujaddid Sarhandi announced join­ing PTI at the gathering and asked their disciples to support candidates of GDA and PTI.

On the occasion, Sufi Aslam, independent candidate for PS-51, PS-52 and NA-220 announced withdrawing from election in favour of GDA and PTI.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2018