Lyari has become a battleground as candidates gear up for the upcoming local bodies elections, as gangsters are pushing their independent candidates forward and threatening others to withdraw in their favour.
Security agencies revealed on Tuesday that gangsters in Lyari issued threats to candidates from different political parties to withdraw from their seats in favour of their independent candidates.
As per details, the South deputy inspector general (DIG) on intelligence information prepared a secret information report revealing that members of the Baba Ladla group are issuing threats to former Nazim UC-6 Hafiz Mufti Alam and Hafiz Taj Muhammad and have asked them to withdraw in favour of their independent candidates.
The DIG also revealed that Kalri, Chakiwara and Baghdadi Station House Officers (SHOs) are not paying heed to the threats issued by the gangsters and no special security arrangements have been made to thwart these threats.
Interestingly, an investigation into the matter revealed that security officials have declared two ex-councillors from Lyari to be gangsters. The DIG has claimed that Mama Umeed Ali Saidi and Abdul Rasheed Dada, who were elected from Lyari on PPP tickets in the past, are actually members of the Baba Ladla group.
Both alleged gangsters have been enjoying the support of Sardar Nabeel Gabol, and are contesting local government elections independently this time.
However, the independent candidates say that claims that they are gangsters are false.
Independent candidate Muhammad Aslam Baloch said that he has been declared a gangster for contesting elections against PPP. “My only sin is that I reside in the same area where Baba Ladla has his residence,” Baloch maintained.
Aslam Baloch, also known as Aslam Panjgur, said that he has served as PPP District South Ward-09 president before.
“I approached the party for a ticket but the party tuned down my request,” Baloch said, adding that, “I decided to contest the polls independently, but when the party started to feel that I could win the election, I was declared a gangster.”
“Independent candidates came under fire when former PPP MNA Sardar Nabeel Gabol announced support for them in the upcoming polls,” Baloch said, adding that, “the PPP leadership knows that if Sardar Nabeel Gabol backs independent candidates, then they will definitely win the election.”
“I am a businessman and belong to respectable family,” Baloch said.
“If anyone proves my affiliation with Baba Ladla and his group or brings forward evidence of my criminal activities, then I will withdraw from my seat,” he added.
Talking to Pakistan Today, Sardar Nabeel Gabol, who left the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in the recent past and has served PPP, accused the party of using state machinery to rig polls in Lyari.
“I am supporting independent candidates in Lyari, but PPP leaders are trying to associate them with gangsters,” he maintained.
“I am sure that the candidates, who are supported by me, have no association with gangsters, and I am afraid that PPP will try to implicate them in fake criminal cases,” Gabol claimed.
On the other hand, PPP Sindh Secretary General Senator Taj Haider insisted that Lyari gangsters are threatening PPP candidates to withdraw from their seats in favour of their candidates.
“They are not only threatening PPP candidates, but they issued threats to candidates of other parties to keep away from local bodies’ election,” Haider maintained. Responding to a question, Haider said PPP has ignored threatening calls and would contest election from Lyari.
Responding to another question, he said when we go for election, many candidates apply for ticket on a single seat, but the party would have to choose one of them.