Upcoming polls: ‘Strict electoral reforms should be implemented’

Ghous Bux Mahar shares his views in an exclusive interview in Sukkur.


Sarfaraz Memon March 15, 2013
Ghous Bux Mahar shares his views in an exclusive interview in Sukkur.

SUKKUR: Those elected twice to the parliament should not be allowed to contest elections for the third consecutive time, said Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader Ghous Bux Mahar here on Thursday afternoon.

He shared his views during his visit to the residence of Safia Baloch, the PML-F Sukkur division president, in an interview with The Express Tribune.

Ghous Bux Mahar, a veteran of Sindh politics, started his political career from the platform of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the year 1977. Besides four stints as MPA in 1977, 1985, 1988 and 1993, Mahar also served as chairperson district council, Shikarpur, in 1979, 1983 and 1987, proudly adding that he was always elected unopposed to the said position. He quit PPP in 1985 and contested elections as an independent candidate and was elected MPA. He also remained a speaker of the Sindh Assembly from 1993 to 1997, after which he was elected as an MNA.



Mahar was always attracted towards the charismatic personality of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and joined the PPP in mid-70s. After parting ways with the PPP, he joined Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and stayed with it till 1999 when Nawaz Sharif was exiled to Saudi Arabia. Thereafter, he joined Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and quit when he realised that the party had little future prospects in the province. After the passage of the controversial Sindh Peoples Local Government Ordinance (SPLGO), he believed Pir Sahib Pagara was the only true representative of Sindh and he felt duty-bound to join hands with him to do something for the motherland.



Talking about bringing a change in the country and its political system, he said that change has become inevitable. He was of the view that the parliamentarians, who have been elected twice either in the assemblies or the Senate, should not be allowed to contest elections for a third consecutive time. In this way new people will get a chance to enter the parliament and do something for the welfare of the country, he said.

While discussing election expenses, he said, he neither has the money to spend nor does he wish to spend a fortune on the elections. He praised the sincerity of his people and said they bore all the expenses on their own.

“I love my people and they love me, because I take politics as a service to the downtrodden. I don’t believe in making properties here and there. Rather, I believe in peace of mind, which could be had in serving humanity.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15th, 2013.

COMMENTS (1)

Kazim | 11 years ago | Reply

His pristine stature is why he was removed as a provincial minister in 1986. ET should take and report that he contested elections with PPP in 1977. In 1985 he contested elections independently and again when he was a Speaker of the Sindh Assembly from 1993-96 he had been elected on a PPP ticket. He swings as much as the second person. It's probably fair that people like him should only become members of Parliament only once.

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