GDA’s two MPAs-elect will not take oath in protest against ‘bogus’ polls

The Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) has decided that two of its MPAs-elect will not take the oath of their office in the upcoming inaugural session of the new house of the Sindh Assembly as part of its agitation drive to be launched shortly in the province against what it terms massive rigging in the February 8 general elections to unduly favour the Pakistan Peoples Party.

The announcement to this effect was made by GDA leaders Pir Pagara and Dr Safdar Abbasi while addressing a press conference on Monday after a meeting of the alliance attended by its top leaders reviewed the post-poll scenario in the province.

The meeting decided to start an agitation drive in the province, in the first stage of which, a protest sit-in would be staged on the Hyderabad Bypass on February 16. The GDA leaders announced that other anti-PPP parties would also be contacted to take part in the GDA-led drive.

The Pir Pagara rejected the general elections terming them anti-state elections. He said the latest general elections could create as dangerous repercussions for the state as created in the aftermath of the 1970 general elections when the leader of then East Pakistan Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not recognised as the chief of the majority party despite winning 107 seats against 60 seats secured by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s party.

He cautioned the state institutions to play their due role in the post-poll scenario in the country. He said the PPP could never secure such an overwhelming victory in the polls in Sindh because of sheer bad governance during its regime that lasted in the province for the past 15 years.

He assured the media persons that the GDA-led agitation drive in the province would be completely peaceful as they would never think of resorting to any anti-state activity. He said the protest sit-ins to be staged by the GDA under its agitation drive would not hinder the free movement of the ambulances and other vehicles carrying families.

“We have been given two seats (in Sindh Assembly) as a charity. We give back these seats as they should better be given to Zardari,” said the GDA leader. He greeted the young followers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for extending overwhelming support to the candidates of their party in the February 8 general elections.

Dr Abbasi announced that the alliance would also stage a protest demonstration outside the Sindh Assembly on the day of the inaugural session of its new house to be formed after the February 8 general elections. He said the two MPAs-elect of the GDA would not take the oath of their office in the inaugural session in protest.