KARACHI: Four old associates of Pakistan People's Party--two of them former provincial and federal ministers from Nausheroferoze and Shaheed Benazirabad districts of Sindh on Monday announced their re-joining in PPP here at the Chief Minister House.
They claimed that more influential from Sindh including the leaders of an electoral alliance, the Sindh Awami Alliance, would join PPP soon. Those who re-joined the party were Syed Asghar Ali Shah and Syed Murad Ali Shah from Nausheroferoze, Syed Sarfraz Ali Shah from Kandiaro town of Shaheed Benazirabad and Syed Junaid Ali Shah from Nawabshah city. Syed Asghar Ali Shah has remained as MPA, provincial minister, Senator, MNA and federal minister in different governments. Syed Murad Ali Shah has been provincial minister in different governments.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Sindh Information Minister Shazia Atta Marri Special Assistant to the CM on Information Syed Waqar Mehdi were also present.
All these four Syed leaders thanked President Asif Ali Zardari, Mst. Faryal Talpur, Syed Qaim Ali Shah and other friends from PPP for giving them respect and value which moved them to come back onto the PPP platform which is the true representative party of the masses of the country. They expressed full confidence in the Central and Provincial leadership of PPP.
Syed Murad Ali Shah told media there that his father had joined PPP during its initial days on the invitation of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. On the death of his father in 1972, he (Murad Ali Shah) joined the party, and remained and worked for it till 1997.
He was not willing to leave the party but negative attitude of then PPP provincial leadership forced him to quit. Even then, he claimed, he continued his support for PPP in the Assembly on certain issues. Because of his soft corner, he continued, he remained sidelined and got little importance during the successive governments. "Now I feel very happy to re-join my parent party," he remarked.
Syed Asghar Ali Shah said that he had re-joined PPP after seeking opinion from his voters who thoroughly supported his decision.
He pledged that he and his family would be working for betterment of the party and the people. Syed Sarfraz Ali Shah said that by joining PPP, he had come to his home once again.
He said that he had been associated with PPP and struggled for democracy during Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD).
"Now, I would remain and work for PPP till my death," he reaffirmed.
On this occasion, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah highly appreciated the re-joining of his old party friends. He assured all support and cooperation on his behalf and on behalf of the party and the Government.
He said that PPP is the very popular national political party which has been struggling for socio-economic uplift of the people and development of the country in the light of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto's vision and program.
"Goodwill of PPP has increased and enjoys more support from the masses," he said adding that the opposition parties were afraid of this change.
He said that Nawaz Sharif always came to power with support of the establishment and the same tactics he was using once again. He has zero tolerance for the true democracy in the country.
He warned that PPP would pay Nawaz Sharif in the same coin. If he (Nawaz) has planned for a long march to Islamabad, PPP can gather more people for marching towards Lahore.
He said PPP has planned a big public meeting (jalsa) on 12th of this month at Sindh-Punjab border at Kamoon Sharif.
To a question, he said Lyari was and would remain a stronghold of PPP. The Government has been working for improvement in the life of Lyari people and has more development schemes on its cards. When his attention was drawn to the reported killing of ten innocent residents of Lyari, he said "yes, some innocent people were killed during the police action in Lyari."
He announced that the Government will give a compensation of Rs half million for a deceased and Rs 0.2 million for a seriously wounded person.