HYDERABAD: Protest against poll day violence planned
HYDERABAD, Feb 13: The Sindh People’s Youth (SPY) said on Tuesday that the youth would stage protest demonstrations across the province on Wednesday against what it called a ‘murderous attack’ on the People’s Party Parliamentarians Sindh President Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Ms Azra Pechuho on the by-polls day.
SPY Central President Aijaz Dhamrah, General Secretary Akram Iqbal, Yasin Sehar and Mamoon Rind slammed at a news conference at the press club the use of inappropriate language by the Sindh chief minister against the party’s women leaders and charged that the government had broken all previous records of rigging and violence during the by-elections in Karachi and Kotri on February 10. An army of Sindh ministers had directly interfered in the polls process, they said.
They said that attacks were made on Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Dr Azra Pechuho, sister of Asif Ali Zardari, Aijaz Jakhrani, Syed Murad Ali Shah and female polling agents at the Budhapur polling station. Ten party workers were injured and their vehicles were damaged in front of the police who just stood by like spectators, they alleged.
The ministers and advisers personally stamped ballot papers under explicit instructions from the chief minister who was acting like an SHO on the by-polls day, they charged.
They warned the chief minister against using inappropriate language against the party’s women leaders and said the youth would not tolerate such incidents in future.
They demanded that the government should withdraw false case against PPP candidate Dr Sikandar Shoro and other party workers.
Our Thatta Correspondent adds: A large number of PPP activists observed token hunger strike outside the press club on Tuesday to protest against the use of intemperate language by the Sindh chief minister against the chairperson of the party, Benazir Bhutto, MPA Sassui Palijo and other women leaders, rigging in the by-elections and firing on PPP leaders.
Speaking on the occasion, the district president of the PPP, Wazir Ahmed Memon, said that the chief minister had crossed all limits of decency by using intemperate language against women.
He said this was an insult to the tradition and culture of Sindh. He said all conspiracies to eliminate the PPP will be foiled.
Former MNA Babu Ghulam Hussain Memon said that the use of indecent language by the chief minister against women leaders of the PPP would not be tolerated.