PM visits Ghotki, offers condolences to Mahar’s family

PPP candidate submits complaint with ECP, accusing the PM of influencing by-election

HYDERABAD: As the campaign for by-election on the vacant National Assembly constituency NA-205 Ghotki heats up, Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the Mahar family on Wednesday to condole the death of former federal minister Sardar Ali Muhammad Khan Mahar. The PM visited the family nine days after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notified the July 18 by-election and almost a month after the death of the former federal minister for narcotics control who was elected from NA-205.

Pakistan Peoples Party's Abdul Bari Pitafi, who is a prospective candidate for NA-205, submitted a complaint with the ECP accusing the PM of influencing the by-election. Accompanied by Jehangir Tareen, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and other party leaders, Khan condoled with MPA Ali Gohar Mahar, Ali Nawaz alias Raja Mahar, the deceased Mahar's son, Ahmed Ali Mahar, and other family members.

The condolence meeting lasted around 30 minutes during which the Mahar family requested the PM to approve around three dozen development schemes which the late federal minister had proposed to the government. The family's sources told the local media that the prevailing political situation in Sindh also came under discussion.

In his letter to the ECP, Pitafi contended that the PM has violated election rules by visiting the constituency. He requested the ECP to take action against the PM and the federal ministers as well as the election candidate from the Mahar family over the visit.

The July 18 by-polls will witness a one-on-one contest between the PPP and the Grand Democratic Alliance candidate, Ahmed Ali Mahar, who is supported by the PTI.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2019.