HYDERABAD, Dec 23: Pakistan People’s party divisional president and former deputy opposition leader in Sindh assembly Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman has called upon the chief election commissioner and the federal government to remove DPO Thatta Nadir Khoso and caretaker Sindh minister Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi to avoid bloodshed in the district during the elections.

Speaking at a hurriedly called press conference at the press club here on Sunday, he said that DPO Nadir Khoso had been posted with a specific purpose of ensuring victory of the sons of Shirazis and had unleashed a reign of terror in the entire district to harass and intimidate PPP leaders and their supporters.

He said PS-85 of Mirpur Sakro was being contested by PPP candidate Sassui Palijo while the Shirazis want to win this seat.

The workers were being harassed and implicated in false cases by the DPO to win this seat, he said.

He said the Election Commission had taken a bold step by removing DPO Dadu Tipu Sultan on public complaint.

The Makhdoom said the Election Commission, the Supreme Court and the government had already been informed about the volatile situation in Thatta district and fear of impending bloodshed but no action had been taken so far in the matter.

He said Thatta district has always remained an invincible fort for Bhutto but the Shirazis considered themselves as the uncrowned kings of Thatta as they had remained in the government for five years.

He said the remnants of Ziaul Haq were attacking the PPP election camps through their hoodlums and goons.

He claimed that the Shirazis had become desperate as they had read the writing on the wall and therefore, were doing everything to convert their defeat into victory.

He said PPP workers had never taken law into their hands but if the harassment by the Shirazis through the DPO was not stopped, it will become extremely difficult for the party leadership to control the people.

He said that six sons and nephews of Shirazis were contesting the general elections.

He said the henchmen of Shirazis were removing the portraits of Benazir Bhutto and PPP flags and warned that this was a very sentimental issue.

He demanded that the entire Thatta district should be declared as a sensitive district and Aijaz Shah Shirazi should be removed from the Sindh cabinet as his own sons and nephews were contesting the general elections.

He urged President Pervez Musharraf to fulfil his promise of holding free and fair elections by removing Aijaz Shirazi as the caretaker minister of Sindh.

A number of PPP activists from Thatta including those who were injured in the alleged attacks were also present at the press conference.

Meanwhile, a statement of Ms Sassui Palijo was also distributed at the press conference. She alleged that on the Eid day her election office at Raj Malik was ransacked and Allah Bachayo Baloch, Ali Mohammad and others workers were injured.

She said on the second day of Eid, election office at Ghulamullah was attacked where PPP workers Yar Mohammad Malkani, Ayaz Malkani and Bux Ali Malkani were injured.

She said the police had registered a false case against Sardar Malik Luqman Malkani, his 13 family members and other party activists.