The Scheduled Castes Federation of Pakistan (SCFP) has decided to support Shaukat Aziz in the bye-elections from NA-229, Tharparker-I, where scheduled castes have 40 percent of the total registered votes.
"The SCFP announces its support to Shaukat Aziz for the basic reason that he has been nominated by the President General Pervez Musharraf, the only world leader who raised voice against the historic atrocities against Scheduled Castes or Dalits in India and South Asia at United Nations General Assembly in October 2002."
"His orders to recruit the minorities including Scheduled Castes in Pakistan Army has also won goodwill for him amongst the Scheduled Castes," said a resolution passed at a meeting of the SCFP presided over by its President Surendar Vallasai here on Wednesday.
Others who attended the meeting include Bherulal Balani, ex-MPA, Arjundas and a number of SCFP members from Tharparker.
"The PML and the PPP, the ruling and opposition parties respectively, had ignored the huge Scheduled Castes population in awarding party nominations in 2002 general elections for minority seats hence SCFP will not support anybody as a party candidate," continued the resolution.
The SCFP said that with the support of Scheduled Castes Shaukat Aziz could bag 140,000 record votes in Tharparker if the exploiting politicians from upper castes do not conspire against the Scheduled Castes.
The SCFP said that Scheduled Castes of Tharparker will arrange a mammoth reception for Shaukat Aziz in Mithi during the elections campaign if he accepted the invitation despite the opposition by the same upper caste Hindus who decline a role for Shudras in politics and are out to kill their assertiveness in Tharparker through their local political allies.