DADU: Awami Ittehad (AI) chief MPA Liaquat Ali Jatoi, speaking at a hurriedly called press conference on Tuesday amid reports of an AI candidate defecting to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), repeated his allegations more forcefully that the PPP was pressuring its opponents to change their loyalties.

Mr Jatoi warned that his party`s workers and supporters would counter the illegal practices resorted to by PPP MNAs and MPAs from Dadu district.

`Thousands of our workers and supporters will hold rallies outside the residences of the district returning ofñcer, returning ofñcers and deputy commissioner if any attempt is made to tamper with the results of local government elections, he said. He accused the district administration of being hand in glove with PPP lawmakers and activists who, according to him, had already hatched a plot to rig the polls.

He said the matter of PPP activists pressuring their opponents was discussed at an AI meeting presided over by him earlier in the day.

Mr Jatoi told the press conference, held at his Dadu residence, that the DRO and ROs as well as DSPs and SHOs were posted on the recommendation of the PPP as per the pre-poll rigging plot.

Regretfully, the Election Commission was playing the role of a silent spectator.

The AI leader claimed that Rs40 million wasdrawn from each Taluka Municipal Committee of the district and Dadu Municipal Committee and put at the disposal of PPP activists to facilitate rigging and finance PPP candidates` election campaigns.

He questioned the transfer of DC Zubair Channa about a week af ter the poll schedule was announced. A pro-PPP bureaucrat, Sardar Ali Jamali, was brought in as the DC, he said, in violation of the code of conduct. He said the role of the Election Commissioner had also become questionable due to his inaction.

Mr Jatoi said he intended to move the Sindh High Court against transfer of officials and rejection of non-PPP candidates` nomination papers on invalid reasons.

Other AI leaders including Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Ashique Ali Zour and Pir Gambal Shah also spoke.

Meanwhile, an AI candidate for Ward-22, Dadu (City), Asharaf Shaikh, on Tuesday announced withdrawal of his candidature in favour of PPP candidate Pir Danish, who is a son of former senior minister for education Pir Mazharul Haq.

He made the announcement at a press conference held at Pir Mazhar`s residence.

The senior PPP leader welcomed Mr Shaikh`s decision.

SUKKUR: The Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) held its workers conventions in Sul
PML-N Sindh president Ismail Rahu and MPASorath Thebo were among the leaders who addressed the convention in Sukkur on Tuesday.

They criticised the PPP for `having hatched a conspiracy to rig the polls` and victimising PMLN-backed candidates.

All such conspiracies and unfair means would fail and the PML-N would sweep the polls, they said.

Mr Rahu also described his party`s support for the controversial Kalabagh dam project as `mere propaganda` and declared that the dam would not be built without a consensus of all provinces.

Meanwhile, Mr Rahu and other PML-N leaders including Mohammed Aslam Abro, Kial Das Kohistani, women wing chief Sughra Lashari, Mahesh Talreja, Sham Sundar, Chaudhry Tariq, Agha Imtiaz, Sardar Sajjad Khan Buledi, Raja Khaliquz Zaman and Ahsan Soomro addressed party workers convention in Jacobabad late on Monday evening.

They condemned `massive corruption` by PPP leaders and observed that the masses remained deprived of their legitimate rights during the party`s rule over the province. They accused the PPP of having usurped the district`s development funds, and claimed that every town of the province wore a look of Moenjodaro because of the corruption.

Earlier, Mr Rahu and Mr Abro led a party workers` rally taken out in Jacobabad city.

They held out the assurance that the PML-N under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would eliminate corruption in Sindh.