KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that the “incompetent and selected government of Imran Ahmed Niazi” has become a burden on the country, the people and the economy. It should step down before the public ire kicks this dispensation into the dustbin of the history.

Presiding over a meeting of the party’s Karachi coordination committee at Bilawal House on Sunday, he said that the Oct 18 public meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on the occasion of anniversary of those killed in the Karsaz bomb attacks would be a referendum against what he called the “puppet regime”.

“The Imran regime imposed on the people through stolen mandate has destroyed everything in the country and people are fed up with its anti-people policies of promoting unemployment, inflation, diplomatic isolation and economic assassination of Pakistan,” he added.

Lawmakers of PPP meet in Hyderabad to devise strategy for Oct 18 event

He said that the PTI regime had no roots among the people and it had been “selected” to demolish and discredit the country and discourage meritocracy in every field.

He asked the committee to facilitate people’s travel to the public meeting venue in Karachi without any hindrances and make best arrangements for the party’s and other democratic forces’ workers.

KCC coordinator Waqar Mehdi, PPP-Karachi president Saeed Ghani, MNA Qadir Patel, Lal Bux Bhutto, Najmi Alam, MPA Sajid Jokhio, Khalid Lateef, Ghulam Mohammed Samoon and others were present in the meeting.

Lawmakers meet in Hyderabad

A meeting of parliamentarians from Sindh belonging to the PPP was held in Hyderabad at the residence of former provincial minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday.

The leaders said that the Oct 18 public meeting in Karachi would be historic.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, PPP Sindh chapter president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that PDM comprising 11 parties would unite the opposition.

He said all institutions of the country belonged to people and they were answerable to them.

Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that the [Bundal and Buddu] islands belonged to Sindh and the federal government had acted unconstitutionally by occupying them.

He said PPP would get a resolution passed in the Sindh Assembly against this act of the federal government. He said similar resolutions would be adopted in the National Assembly and the Senate.

He said that these islands were properties of Sindh and would remain so.

He said that PDM leaders would attend Oct 18 public meeting of the PPP in Karachi that would mark the anniversary of Oct 18, 2007 Karsaz twin bombings.

Mr Shah said that when the PPP tried to get democracy restored its leadership was targeted and the party had to collect 200 bodies. The PPP’s FIR was not even lodged during the Musharraf government after Oct 18 tragedy, he said.

He added Prime Minister Imran Khan represented a minority government. He said that all institutions of the country belonged to Pakistani nation.

He said that these institutions were answerable to the people. He accused the government of trying to break opposition on the pattern of Musharraf. He said that this government was opposing 18th Amendment to the Constitution.

Mr Shah sarcastically said this government was running a factory of ordinances.

He said that a divided opposition would not be beneficial for the country.

PPP-Parliamentarians’ information secretary Nafisa Shah said that PDM’s movement had been started and after Gujranwala it would also reach Karachi.

She said that PM Khan in his speech looked frightened and added that his speech showed that he was a selected PM.

She said that this government had held the masses hostage. She said that PM spoke like as if he was delivering his container speech.

She said that Pakistan’s economy had been badly hit due to the government’s policies.

She said that the Oct 18 anniversary would prove to be a day of emancipation. She said that till the acceptance of the PDM’s 26 points, this caravan would be in the field.

PPP’s central information secretary and Senator Maula Bux Chandio said it was unfortunate that the government even declined to accept the offer of reconciliation with the opposition.

He said that Mr Bhutto-Zardari had offered a helping hand at the very beginning of the government, but the ruling PTI ignored it.

He said that due to the incompetent government opposition parties were protesting on the roads. Mr Chandio maintained that the PM had made the national institutions controversial through his statements.

He said that the PM issued an unnecessary statement that institutions were with him.

“These institutions are not with you but with the people of this country,” he said.

He asked the PTI government to stop playing with the interests of provinces. He said that PM Khan had started lingual and regional politics.

The PPP leader said that the opposition would make this government restless.

He said that the PPP enjoyed mass politics on roads. He said that by uniting opposition parties Mr Bhutto-Zardari had served Pakistan.

He said PM Khan must explain who was seeking an NRO from him because he often claimed that he would not give NRO to anyone.

He said that PM Khan deviated from his own political positions on various matters and did what he used to abhor in his speeches.

He said that this inept government was doing different things only to divert attention of the masses from real issues. He termed murder of Maulana Dr Adil Khan a tragedy and said anti-Pakistan forces now tried to fan sectarianism in the country.

He expressed the hope that his assailants would be arrested soon.

MPA Sharjeel Memon said that the opposition, especially the PPP, could not be intimidated through jails and the PM should be ready for jails now.

He said the PM was dubbing the entire opposition as ‘robbers’ but could he explain why he had obtained stay orders in the PTI’s foreign funding, Malam Jabba and BRT cases.

Mr Memon said that if PM’s hands were clean then why he was hiding behind stay orders.

He said that the PM’s cabinet was facing mega corruption scandals.

He said that it was to be decided now whether the PM would voluntarily quit or he would be ousted.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2020