HYDERABAD: Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) secretary general Ayaz Latif Palijo has said that GDA has not entered into any alliance with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM) nor any proposal to that effect has been presented so far in GDA’s supreme council.

Mr Palijo said in a statement issued here on Wednesday that the GDA was not a political party; it was an electoral alliance against corruption comprising different political parties and individuals.

He said that every party and candidate had the right to make political adjustments in their constituencies considering local conditions. This right was available to PML-F which was the largest political entity in GDA and he himself said that they could contest election without permission of GDA.

He said the same right was also available to Irfanullah Marwat, Sardar Rahim, Ali Gul Mallah and other parties in Karachi. Under this right those who were not part of GDA attended the alliance’s consultative meetings, he said.

They included; Syed Zain Shah, Ali Nawaz Shah, Shafi Jamote, Nand Lal Malhi, Dr Rahila Magsi. Also, GDA did not field any candidate against Mohammad Ali Qazi of Tabdeeli Pasand Party.

He said that if a candidate made political adjustments it was his or his party’s right and GDA had nothing to do with it. PPP had appointed a 17-member propaganda squad in Bilawal House for GDA bashing in order to divert attention from the people who were turning against PPP, he said.

He said that PPP had set up central social media centres in Qasimabad, Ghorabari Thatta and Bilawal House which were being used against GDA. The centres were working only to attack Ayaz Latif Palijo and GDA and to defend Zardari, Faryal and Bilawal.

MWM, PST throw weight behind Dr Zubair

Majlis-i-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) and Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST) leaders announced supporting Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-Noorani (JUP-N) president Dr Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair on NA-227 (Hyderabad).

MWM central leader Asad Abbas Naqvi said at a joint press conference with Dr Zubair at the press club on Wednesday that MWM activists would also help Dr Zubair run his election campaign.

He said that he believed Dr Zubair would serve the nation, if he was elected in polls. Dr Zubair thanked MWM and said that he would strive for promoting religious harmony and addressing basic problems of people.

PST Sindh president Maulana Noor Ahmed Qasmi and other leaders Khalid Hassan Attari, Abid Qadri, Imran Soharwardi also announced full support to Dr Zubair at a press conference held at PST office here.

They raised serious reservations over violation of code of conduct in Hyderabad and appealed to SSP to provide security to PST candidates who were contesting election for provincial assembly only.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2018