SUKKUR: Although Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, he cannot bring about the change he wants because his father and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari holds all powers to pick the people of his choice for all party posts as well as seats of all elected houses.

This was observed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi while speaking to the media at Jatoi House in Rohri on Tuesday. He said Mr Bhutto-Zardari would be able to do anything for the party only after his father stopped handling all its affairs.

“At the moment, Bilawal is a powerless PPP chief,” he said, but added that “he is loved by party leaders and worker because he is the son of Benazir Bhutto”.

Mr Qureshi claimed that the PPP was no more a party of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Rather, it had become just a ‘Zardari league’, he added.

The PTI leader alleged that the PPP along with coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) ruled over Sindh for over two decades but did not deliver leaving the people of Sindh disappointed. The masses now wanted a change, he said.

Corrupt rulers and inefficient functionaries could never bring about a positive change or give people their constitutional and legitimate rights. Therefore, Sindh needed sincere, honest and able leadership, said Mr Qureshi.

Commenting on the defection of former Karachi nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal and his two other senior party colleagues from the MQM, the PTI leader said Mr Kamal held an important position in that party and the revelations he made after quitting it carried weight. In a situation where serious allegations were being levelled and rejected, MQM supporters like other people stood confused. “It is, therefore, necessary to set up a judicial commission so that facts could come to the fore,” he said, and regretted that the federal government was reluctant to consider the proposal.

“If the federal government does not set up a judicial commission, the Supreme Court should take suo motu notice of MQM’s alleged links with RAW [the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing] as well as its alleged involvement in bloodshed, extortion and landgrabbing in Karachi,” he stressed.

In reply to a question, the PTI leader said those talking of a division of Sindh were not sincere with the province and its people. “My party will continue to oppose any such move ... Sindh is intact and will remain intact.”

Replying to a question about drought in Tharparkar, Makhdoom Qureshi observed that two to five children were dying of malnutrition or curable diseases there every day but no measures were being taken in this regard. He said the prime minister, PPP chairman, chief minister and others flew into the region by helicopters, announced packages amounting to billions of rupees but the situation on the ground remained unchanged.

He also accused provincial ministers and other politicians of receiving kickbacks in awarding major contracts and having formed a ‘sugar cartel’ to monopolise the industry and deprive cane growers of a fair price of their produce.

Other PTI leaders including Haleem Adil Shaikh and Puppu Chachar were accompanying Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his visit.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2016