Staff Report

LARKANA: Veteran politician Mumtaz Bhutto on Wednesday formally announced joining hands with Nawaz Sharif, merging his small faction Sindh National Front (SNF) with PML-N.

Bhutto announced it while addressing a large public gathering at his hometown, Mirpur Bhutto, in Larkana district.

The meeting was organized by the Pakistan Muslim League-N and also addressed by its chief Nawaz Sharif and other party leaders.

“I have decided to disband the Sindh National Front and merge it with PML-N. I have always supported the politics of federation and mobilised the people of Sindh through my slogan of a confederation system,” Bhutto said.

Sharif, on the occasion, hailed Mumtaz Bhutto joining, saying that it would help him accomplish PML-N’s plans for Sindh.

The two-time prime minster, as usual, criticized the PPP government over its failure and recalled his era.

“People of Sindh are faced with poverty, joblessness, load-shedding and worst law and order situation, but the issues have not been addressed by the PPP rulers even after passage of five years.”

He said the government did not exist at times when floods wreaked havoc in Sindh, devastating properties of millions of people.

About conviction of PM Gilani, he said “Gilani is a convicted Prime Mister, he should not hold the office any more...He is now violating the court orders and Zardari is responsible for it.”

Nawas said Zardari exploited the vote of people they gave him after Benazir Bhutto’s martyrdom.

“People of Sindh know that PML-N had successfully eliminated poverty from Sindh through various developmental schemes, and we can do the same if provided the change of serving again. We will make Pakistan an Asian Tiger and there will be laptops in hands of students instead of weapons,” the PML-N chief said while addressing the public gathering in Mirpur Bhtto, Rato Dero, during his two-day visit to Sindh.

Sharif is also scheduled to hold meetings with some Sindhi nationalist leaders, a bid to counter PPP in its stronghold. -- SAMAA