The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced that the by-election on PS-57 Badin – the constituency relinquished by former Sindh home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza – will be held on December 11.
According to the schedule, nomination papers can be submitted from October 26 to 27. The scrutiny of the papers would take place on November 2, objections would be called on November 16 and the withdrawal date would be November 17. Federal Minister Khurshid Ahmed Shah held a meeting with Dr Mirza and the latter agreed not to give any statements against PPP’s provincial Ministers of the PPP and also assured the former that he is not trying to create a forward block in the party.
In return, the former home minister was assured that the PPP will allot the ticket to his son, Hasnain Mirza, to run for the PS-57 constituency. Under the new mutual understanding, Dr Mirza might leave the country later this month. According to Dr Mirza, he has been assured that “no steps will be taken against interests of people of Sindh”.
However, Dr Mirza told Shah that he will not support the local government bill at any cost and would continue supporting implementation of the commissionerate system in the province. President Asif Ali Zardari sent Khurshid Ahmed Shah to Karachi to convey his message to Dr Mirza that with general elections just a year away, the former home minister should refrain from issuing statements which might harm the party’s interests.
The former home minister will also hold a public meeting on October 18 to observe the anniversary of the twin blasts on the slain party chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming caravan at Karsaz. The banned People’s Amn Committee has announced that the public meeting to remember those who died in the Karsaz attack would be held in Lyari and presided over by Dr Mirza.
Talking to journalists on Saturday night, Dr Mirza said that he would not support a law that would have been against the wishes of Benazir Bhutto as she wanted to see Karachi and Hyderabad restored to their old state. The ordinance issued by Sindh governor on the local government system in the province will lapse on November 6, after which the old commissionerate system will be restored.
It is expected that during the by-election for the Badin constituency, Dr Mirza will not be in the country as he has said that he will go to London on November 7.
