Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Sindh President and former Federal Minister Syed Ali Haider Zaidi held a news conference on Wednesday to raise concerns about pre-poll rigging in the upcoming Karachi local government elections and the current state of affairs in the country. Mr. Zaidi was accompanied by PTI Karachi President Bilal Ghaffar MPA and PTI Sindh MPAs, Sidra Imran and Arsalan Taj Ghumman.
PTI Sindh President informed the media that he had written a letter to the Chief Secretary of Sindh with copies sent to the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan and the Sindh Election Commissioner. In the letter, Mr. Zaidi pointed out that the recent appointments of District Administrators in Karachi are political workers of the MQM besides being government officers within the local administration.
Mr. Zaidi mentioned the names of these people, Syed Shakeel Ahmed, Mohammad Farooque and Furqan Atyeb and showed photos of their social media accounts, noting they were workers and members of the MQM. Also, he questioned how government officers can simultaneously be members of a political party.
The appointment of such officers as District Administrators 20 days before January 15, 2023, local government elections in Karachi is blatant pre-poll rigging. The PTI Sindh President accused the PPP and MQM of playing a fixed match and tilting the playing field in their favour, as they realize that they can’t defeat PTI in a free and fair election process.
Turning to national issues, Mr. Zaidi lamented the state of the country regarding governance and economy. And that the decisions of the Imported Government have led to the economic implosion of Pakistan. Plus, he blasted the federal government for not consulting the business and trader community about changes in operating timings, as this would negatively impact many businesses in the restaurant, catering and hospitality sectors.
PTI President Sindh expressed concerns over the rising incidents of street crimes in Karachi and terrorism in KPK. Also, he pointed out that the Chinese companies operating in Sindh have communicated their fears about personal safety to the Sindh Chief Minister.
Mr. Zaidi lambasted the Sindh cabinet ministers over their daily ill-mannered press conferences against former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Since they have no evidence of corruption against him, they just keep recycling the toshakhana matter and audio recordings.
