HYDERABAD, April 24: If people are allowed to exercise their right of franchise freely, the People’s Party will win elections and defeat all the so-called big leaders, claimed Sindh chapter president of the People’s Party Parliamentarians Syed Qaim Ali Shah.

Speaking at a public meeting at Tando Yousuf on Sunday night to muster support for party candidate Ali Mohammad Sehto, a candidate for NA-219 in by-elections, he reiterated that his party had not contacted the government on any issue. Federal Information Minister Shaikh Rashid was spreading disinformation, he said.

He said the rulers had conceded that there was unrest in the country and added that the days of peoples’ government were not far away.

The PPP leader urged the rulers to relinquish power voluntarily and said party chairperson Benazir Bhutto would soon return to Pakistan and lead a protest movement.

He pointed out that in Sindh, water was not available even for ablution while the rulers were talking about raising dams on River Indus to convert Sindh into a barren land. The government had adopted the policy of divide and rule, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, party MPA from Hyderabad Zahid Ali Bhurgari said the days of the Musharraf government were over.

He said that turncoats would be rejected and plunderers of national wealth would be held accountable for every penny.

Party’s federal council member Pervez Ahmed Ansari said the PPP was the only party of the country that had roots in the four provinces.

Other speakers on the occasion were Amanullah Siyal, Usman Kennedy, Roshan Solangi, Aftab Khanzada etc.

SUPPORT: Meanwhile, the Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party (STPP) has assured full support to PPP candidate Ali Mohammad Sehto in the by-elections.

A delegation of the PPP, comprising Mohammad Bux Buriro, Ghulam Rasool Kalhoro, Khan Mohammad Chandio, Wali Mohammad Abbas and others, called on STPP chairman Dr Qadir Magsi on Sunday to seek his support for Mr Sehto.

Speaking to the team, Qadir Magsi said he always supported democratic forces and opposed dictatorship. Even in the last general elections, his followers had strongly opposed the supporters of Kalabagh Dam and he would not deviate from that principle, he added.

ORIENTATION WORKSHOP: The National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) held an orientation workshop on child labour concerns, at the Hyderabad Press Club on Monday.

Speaking to participants, ILO representative Ali Nawaz Nizamani said a programme had been launched by the ILO and NRSP to help eliminate child labour from the glass bangle industry of Hyderabad.

A district coordination committee, he said, had been constituted under the chairmanship of district Nazim while EDOs and DOs of all district government departments were its members.

He said, in Latifabad taluka 108, non-formal educational centres had been established where 3,250 children were receiving education. Sixty educational centres for adults would also be established to impart vocational training to 750 persons.

Mr Nizamani said 1,250 families would be given small loans to set-up business.