KARACHI: Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, while rejecting the allegations of kidnapping and sale of members purported by the ruling party, said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) believes in democracy and everyone has the right to vote according to his conscience.
The minister said this while talking to media persons at the Sindh Assembly media corner on Tuesday. He said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has given special directives that the electoral process should be accomplished in a democratic manner.
He stated that an unfortunate incident took place on the floor of Sindh Assembly today which should not have happened, referring to the battle which occurred between lawmakers of PPP and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
“PTI staged drama in Sindh Assembly […] Was it planted or any truth in it? PPP has nothing to do with it,” the minister maintained.
Shah asked that if PPP had been involved in bullying and purchase of vote, then why would it have brought the PTI members into the house? “We could have got vote silently,” he said.
He added that MPA Karim Bakhsh Gabol had expressed his displeasure on party policies through a video statement yesterday. PTI’s Mohammad Aslam Abro and Shehryar Shar followed him and have also expressed reservations over their party’s nominations and attitudes in a video statement.
He stressed that PTI’s own members were not happy over the nomination in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and senior members of PTI have announced their intention of not voting for their candidates on media.
He added that today these three members came together in the same car. They could tell for themselves who threatened them, he said.
“MPA Karim Bakhsh Gabol was forcibly taken away by PTI MPAs and PPP MPAs tried to stop them that but when Gabol Sahib told our MPAs that he wanted to go with them, our MPAs stayed away,” the minister explained.
Responding to a query on Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) decision of supporting PTI, he accepted the decision of the party.
“We went to them in front of everyone under the political process. We made an offer to them which our democratic right. But they have decided to ally with the federal government after consultation with their coordination committee. We accept their decision.”
In response to another question, he said: “Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to hold meetings with the MNAs for two days this week.” The minister asked why the premier had not done this earlier. Prime Minister Imran knows that his own people have serious objections on the Senate nominations, so he has started a series of meetings with assembly members, the information minister proclaimed.
Answering a question on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he said: “We trust all our institutions and whatever they decide. We believe would be in the interest of country and betterment of the system.”
He said that the federal government was a government of revenge and accusations, adding that the effects PTI’s decisions trickle down.
Responding to another question, the provincial minister said that the defection rule did not apply to the Senate vote.
On another question, he said that he would give a vote according to his conscience to the PPP nominees. The PPP has nominated its workers for the Senate. Yousuf Raza Gillani, Farhatullah Babar and Taj Haider are PPP workers and they have a long association with PPP, he maintained.
