KARACHI: Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), an electoral alliance of anti-PPP political forces, clarified on Sunday that it was not awarding a ticket to controversial spiritual leader, Pir Abdul Haq aka Mian Mitho, to contest elections on National Assembly seat NA-204 (Ubauro-Daharki) of Ghotki district. Speaking to Daily Times, Ayaz Latif Palijo, the GDA general secretary, said he was not aware that GDA had taken Mian Mitho on board at any stage, as he was busy in condolence meetings for his father and senior politician Rasool Bux Palijo who died after a prolonged illness on June 7. However, Palijo said as soon as he came to know about social media reports that the GDA was awarding Mian Mithu a ticket, he approached the Pir Pagaro on the matter. “I came to know through social media that GDA is awarding him a ticket after which I talked to Pir Pagara. We are the voice of Sindh. How can we admit Mian Mitho to the GDA when the Sindhi populace is raising objections to his nomination papers?” Palijo said. “We want Pakistan for everyone of its citizens, we want to make it the country Jinnah talked about in his August 11 speech. Mian Mitho is a controversial figure and we will not award him a ticket,” continued Palijo. However, while when he was approached, Mian Mitho told Daily Times that he had neither applied to be part of GDA nor asked for a ticket from any GDA leader, including Ayaz Latif Palijo or Pir Pagaro. “This is my own constituency and I am very influential here, why should I become a part of any alliance? I am not a part of GDA and this I came to know only through social media, which is really surprising,” said Mitho, who is one of the pirs of Dargah Bharchundi Sharif in Daharki, Ghotki district. He became a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) on Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) ticket in 2008. He faced increased criticism due to his involvement in forced conversions of Hindu girls. Subsequently, Mian Mithu was rejected a ticket by the PPP in the 2013 elections. He attempted to join Pakistan-Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in 2015 but PTI chairman Imran Khan refused to take him in the party. Mian Mitho is an influential figure of the district and is notorious for allegedly forced conversions of young Hindu boys and girls. His name first time came to the limelight in 2012 after a Hindu girl from Mirpur Mathelo, Rinkle Kumari (now Faryal) converted to Islam and got married to a Muslim boy, Naveed Shah. The girl’s family alleged that Rinkle was kidnapped by Naveed Shah and forcibly converted. Sindhi press highlighted the issue and Mian Mitho for his involvement in forced conversions. In the next years, many names of Hindu girls who were allegedly converted to Islam by Mian Mitho surfaced in the media. On social media sites, especially on Facebook and twitter, nationalists, social workers and journalists condemned GDA for giving ticket to the controversial Mian Mithi. Published in Daily Times, June 25th 2018.