kARACHI: PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday that his party had launched its campaign for the next general elections from Lyari and the time had come to hand over the party leadership to the new generation. He also fired his first salvo at India and asked its leaders to stop oppressing the people of Kashmir.

Addressing a large public meeting in Lyari’s Kakri Ground, the former president said he would hold the trust of party flag and mission of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto till Bilawal and Aseefa came to take it over.

He said the Chinese investment for development projects in Pakistan would not be allowed to be derailed for the sake of politics, adding that it would be ensured that no-one was harmed or turned into minority by these projects. “We will protect the rights of all people, including the Baloch and Pakhtuns, as these were also taken care of under the 18th Amendment.”

He said the Lyari meeting was a beginning of PPP’s new journey for the next elections and such events would also be held in Punjab and other provinces and in Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

He said his party would continue its struggle for the rights of all people, including minorities, without any discrimination.

The PPP co-chairman also announced a development package of Rs1 billion for Lyari, setting up of Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College in the area, low-cost apartment schemes for its people and regularisation of all contractual and daily-wage employees of government departments.

He said he had also asked the Sindh chief minister to solve the water problem of Lyari in three months. He praised the people of Lyari and said the area was a fortress of the PPP. Mr Zardari said he had started his political career from Lyari and was elected member of the National assembly from the area when he was in jail. After his release, he said, he had come straight to Lyari and addressed a public meeting.

He blamed the remnants of dictators, including Gen Pervez Musharraf, for the bloodbath in Lyari. But now, he said, “we will not allow anyone to repeat it and will turn Lyari once again into a citadel of peace”.

Without naming Imran Khan, he said that some people were making a hue and cry about rigging in one election while the PPP had faced fraud and rigging in every election. It used to be deprived of its mandate, but always bounced back with new spirit in the next election.

He claimed that friendship with China had been initiated by the PPP government and Gwadar port and infrastructure of roads and highways were his party’s gift for the people.

He said he had convened a meeting of all political parties in Islamabad and they pledged that they would not allow anyone to politicise or derail the projects being undertaken by China. “China is our great friend and we should make joint efforts.”

He said the work and achievements of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir would always be remembered and the work of Bilawal and Aseefa would also be remembered for good. For that purpose “we have to lay the foundation so that coming generation could take it along”.

He rejected a perception that the PPP was not popular in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and alleged that some forces always created hurdles for the party. He recalled that once the PPP could not form the government and had to sit in the opposition with only 14 members, but in the next elections “we were able to form the government”.

Mr Zardari said the next elections would be held after two-and-a-half years and he asked the PPP cadre to strengthen the party and hand over the leadership to the youth. “I used to ask Shah sahib (Sindh chief minister) that we should do our job and run the government and the party should be left to the youth to run its affairs.”

He said the PPP leadership was aware of the problems of farmers and workers and was striving to solve them.

Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah praised the people of Lyari for their sacrifices and contributions to the party and democracy and said the Kakri meeting had proved that the PPP was as popular today as it always had been.

He said the PPP government had spent Rs3.85 billion on development projects in Layri over the past seven years.

Sherry Rahman said Lyari was the place from where the PPP had started its ideological and political journey.

Taj Haider, Javed Nagori, Najme Alam, Haji Qasim Baloch and Mola Bux Chandio also addressed the rally.

Thousands of PPP leaders, workers and supporters attended the meeting. Groups of people, including women workers, danced to the tune of party songs. Jubilant workers and activists raised slogans in favour of the party.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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