KARACHI - Election tribunal on Saturday declared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Ghous Ali Shah successful in NA-215 Khairpur constituency, overturning the election of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Nawab Ali Wassan.
Last year, PML-N leader Ghous Ali Shah filed electoral petition on NA-215 and PS-29 - both national and provincial assemblies’ seats - against the victory of PPP candidates. He pointed out electoral irregularities and rigging by the candidates.  
The PS-29 seat was won by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah while NA-215 seat was won by Nawab Ali Wassan, who is the relative of Sindh Prison Minister Manzoor Hussain Wassan. At that time, both the PPP candidates denied about any occurrence of irregularities and rigging. They rejected the PML-N candidate’s allegations. As per the details of the general election 2013, PPP’s Nawab Wassan got 91,809 votes whereas PML-N’s Ghous Ali Shah scored 66,481 votes from NA-215 Khairpur Sindh.
Election tribunal Karachi sent 1,74,291 votes to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) for confirmation. Nadra only verified 47,291 votes, however, its authorities declared 99,752 votes unrecognisable. In the wake of recounting, election tribunal Karachi finally decided to declare Ghous Ali Shah successful in NA-125 constituency.
It is pertinent to mention here that another disgruntled PML-N leader and former Sindh chief minister, Liaquat Ali Jatoi had been declared successful by another election tribunal by annulling PPP’s Parveen Aziz Junejo’s success on a Sindh Assembly seat from Dadu.
Both the PML-N leaders, who remained the chief ministers of Sindh, have strained relations with their party’s high command. They are currently engaged in extensive politicking to form a like-minded group in PML-N along with former Punjab governor Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa.
Meanwhile, the Mohajir Rabita Council’s central executive committee has demanded the Sindh government and leaders of political parties in opposition to announce commemorating the ‘Mohajir Culture Day” because it would be in contrast to the interest of the province to ignore the Mohajirs. Ignoring the Mohajir civilisation by the Sindhi rulers had infiltrated a severe sense of frustration among the Mohajir youth and students. The MRC had time and again warned the rulers at the federal and provincial levels of the fast spreading wave of despondency among the Mohajir but to no avail. The Mohajirs were still treated as the foster sons and were subjected to humiliation and exploitation.
The MRC CEC said the Mohajirs were in majority in urban Sindh especially Karachi, therefore, they had a right to see their civilisation promoted. On the pattern of Sindhi Topi Ajrak Day, the ‘Mohajir Culture Day’ should also be observed officially so that the widening gap between different communities should be checked. They asked the Mohajir writers, columnists, journalists and intellectuals to break their silence on atrocities against the Mohajirs continuing for the last 67 years and should come forward so that the Mohajirs should also enjoy equal rights.