‘Haleem playing to the gallery’

PTI members will not vote for their party in Senate polls, says Ghani

KARACHI:

Sindh Education and Labour Minister Saeed Ghani while talking to the media after the Sindh Assembly session on Thursday said that no vindictive action had been taken against Opposition Leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh and all the cases that had been filed against him were in accordance with the law.

The Pakistan Peoples Party leader said he did not want to comment on Haleem's recent allegations. Referring to Haleem appearing in front of the media in bandages, Ghani said that it was mere theatrics to gain attention.

The provincial minister said if a person is guilty of land grabbing and interfering in the function of government affairs and the police takes action against him, they cannot demand that the police chief should be reprimanded and replaced.

He said that an FIR was filed against Haleem on February 6 for attacking the anti-encroachment team and interfering in government work and blocking the Superhighway for several hours. In the Malir by-elections held on February 16, there is strong proof of harassment of polling staff and voters, he said, adding that according to the rules no MPA, MNA or minister could visit a constituency where a by-election was being held.

With regards to the upcoming Senate polls, Ghani said that the members of the national and provincial assemblies have the right to vote for any candidate in the Senate elections and were not bound to tow the party direction to vote for the party's candidate. He said if parliamentarians voted according to their conscience, it would not affect their membership.

He said the PTI leadership was trying to stop this because their parliamentarians were openly stating that they would not vote for their party's candidates.

In response to a question, he said Haleem was not barred from meeting anyone at the CIA Centre nor was he kept in custody. He said if a snake was found in his cell the matter would be investigated. Where did the reptile come from and how was a four-foot snake killed by one's feet, asked Ghani.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2021.