HYDERABAD: Naheed Khan, the personal secretary of slain prime minister Benazir Bhutto, has complained of violation of the code of conduct for the general election in her constituency, NA-225 Hyderabad, by her opponents.

Spealcing at a press conference along with several leaders of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) including her spouse Dr Safdar Abbasi here on Thursday, she said she was writing to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over instances of such violations.

She complained that the banners of election campaign were removed from different parts of the city although they were erected as per the rules and regulations.

Moreover, she added, police officers including SHOs of the area were harassing, threatening and arresting her supporters.

Ms Khan claimed that Hyderabad SSP Adeel Chandio had turned a blind eye towards such things on the part of his subordinate force.

She said the SSP must take action againstthe police officers and ensure that they did not indulge in such activities again.

`If such practices continued, the victims of harassment would react,` she warned.

Ms Khan also urged her supporters not to give in to those who had resorted to indulging in such tactics and continue with her election campaign without any fear.

The GDA candidate alleged that feudal lords of her constituency were offering between Rs5,000 and Rs10,000 to vote for their favourites instead of GDA candidates.

She appealed to the ECP as well as the chief justice of Pakistan and inspector generalofpolicetotakenoticeofsuchunfair tactics andirregularities.

Regarding performance of the successive governments, she said they failed to address the pressing issues like the quality and quantity of drinking water, a perfect sewerage system and civic infrastructure and a proper healthcare and education system for people.

Dr Safdar Abbasi, who heads the Pakistan Peoples Party-Workers (PPP-W) which is part of the GDA, described the lawmal(ers of the last two legislatures as `deaf and dumb` who, according to him did not heed people`scalls or pay attention to their issues.

Dr Abbasi himself is contesting for the PS-15 Qambar-Shahdadkot seat.

He claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI) had an unwritten deal with the GDA regarding seat adjustment, under which PTI had agreed not to field its candidates in the constituencies where GDA candidates were present. However, he complained, PTI fielded 70 candidates against their GDA counterparts on the last date (June 29) of filing the nomination papers. Despite this, he said, GDA did not field its candidates against PTI candidates.

Meanwhile, Ali Gohar Shah, until recently PPP youth wing president, announced his support for Naheed Khan.

He said `robbers and cheats` had been imposed on sincere and diehard PPP workers which had caused unrest among its rank and file.

Dr Abbasi and Naheed Khan welcomed Mr Shah to the alliance, saying that all ideological fellows of PPP founder chairman Zulfil(ar Ali Bhutto and slain leader Benazir Bhutto were joining GDA.

Police partial to PPP, says GDA LARKANA: GDA`s candidate for PS-12 (Larkana-III) Syed Akbar Shah Rashidi has decried arrest of his supporters under `fake cases` and accused senior superintendent of police of being partial to the alliance`s opponents.

He said at a press conference at local press club on Thursday that police had picked up six of his supporters, Fida Hussain Bugti, Zaffar Bugti, Imamuddin Bugti, Tariq Hussain Bugti, Mohammad Yousuf Bugti and Ali Murad Khakhrani on fake charges of being involved in oil theft.

He said that just a day before their arrest they had arranged a corner meeting for him and were rounded up immediately afterwards on the directives of SSP Shabbir Sethar, who had remained close to his rival on PS-12, former home minister Suhail Anwer Siyal.

He said that he called the SSP but the officer was not attending his call. `We havealready expressed our reservations on posting of local officers in election as they will not be impartial in dealing with antiPPP parties,` he said.

He said the matter had been conveyed to the quarters concerned and even to the governor house and the interim chief minister and the Election Commission of Pakistan would also be informed in writing soon.

He said that he asked the SSP to release his supporters on his personal surety but in vain. If such partiality continued it would not be fair.

PPP`s days are numbered, says Arbab MITHI: Grand Democratic Alliance leader Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that Pakistan Peoples Party`s days as undisputed party of Sindh are numbered.

The former Sindh chief minister said at public gatherings and media talks in different areas of the district on Thursday that no power could save PPP from humiliating defeat on July 25 as GDA and PTI were going to sweep election.

He said that PPP rulers had pocketed `billions of rupees` which were meant for improving the lot of poverty-stricken Tharis, providing them quality healthcare and infrastructure for education and waterworks etc.

He said that people in Nawabshah, Umerkot and other areas had turned up in their thousands to warn the corrupt leaders that they would be rejected in polls. After winning election, he would resume development work he had launched in the past in the entire desert district, he said.

He criticised his nephew and said that he was in a haste to join the team of the corrupt and those who were responsible for deteriorating conditions in Thar.

Meanwhile, GDA is organising a public gathering in Mithi today (Friday) where Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashidi, Dr Zulfikar Ali Mirza, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani and other leaders of GDA, PTI and Ghousia Jamaat were expected to deliver speeches.