KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday outlined a bold and ambitious agenda for his party and vowed to foil “conspiracies hatched” to derail democracy.

Read Saturday's live updates and comments: For Bilawal, politics is 'Bhuttoism' or 'Dictatorship'

Speaking at a mammoth rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah, near the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam, he said some external and internal forces wanted to push the country into the kind of civil war raging in Syria and Iraq, claiming that only Bhuttoism could save the nation.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s speech lasted about 90 minutes and was punctuated by almost all well-known slogans of the PPP. He touched on most issues confronting the country and inveighed against the `puppets’ staging dharnas in Islamabad, the Nawaz government, perceived involvement of the Shahbaz government in the Model Town killings, the judiciary and even the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief`Uncle Altaf’.

He dwelt at length on what he described as sacrifices rendered by leaders of the PPP, especially former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

He underlined the need for free and fair elections in 2018 and transparency in governance.

Referring to Karachi, the PPP’s 26-year-old chief said it was not only the country’s economic hub and mini-Pakistan, but also the “chain that holds the federation together”. Indeed, he added, Karachi was the `Koh-i-Noor’ in the crown of Sindh where besides old Sindhis, new Sindhis, Urdu-speaking people, Punjabis, Pathans, Seraikis, the Baloch, Bengalis and Kashmiris lived. “If all of us join hands, we can make it a cradle of peace and a great city.”

Addressing the prime minister, he asked him to give Karachi its due as it was not just a Sindh city, but the only megalopolis of the country. As such, he added, the centre should contribute to the provincial government’s fight against “all sorts of mafias” by coming up with a generous package.

In a vaguely worded warning, Mr Bhutto-Zardari cautioned unidentified forces against attempts to subvert the Sindh government.

The PPP leader said it was high time that “we unite to banish terrorism, dictatorship and poverty”.

He called for resolution of Kashmir issue, saying it was a part of PPP manifesto.

He did not mince his words while talking about the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. “The MQM has been in power in Karachi for the past 20 years and everyone knows what has gone on over the two decades.

“But we will not give up Karachi. Let us join hands to build our city and turn it into a cradle of peace.”

The youthful leader was highly derisive of the Tehrik-i-Insaf, terming its sit-in a drama and alleging that it wanted to become the “MQM of Lahore”.

“The PTI should realise that it is enjoying freedom only because of Bhuttoism. Had there still been dictatorship in the country, your fate would have been no different from Akbar Bugti.”

The PPP chief invited the prime minister and the Muttahida to “work with me to serve the people. Pakistan can make progress if all come together”.

He called upon the people to “wake up” as the country was facing grave threats. The country had to be saved from “political orphans” by defeating them in the next elections, he added.

He invited PPP members across the country to attend the party’s anniversary convention on Nov 30 at Bilawal House, Lahore. Decisions would be taken on their suggestion for reorganisation of the party and for thrashing out its new programme.

The PPP chief asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to correct the direction of the federal government “We have not forgotten episodes like imprisonment of Asif Zardari and the memogate scandal, but are only supporting the government for the sake of democracy.”

Referring to “the outcry against rigging” in last year’s elections, Mr Bilawal- Zardari said his party had been cheated in every elections. He expressed a hope that if the 2018 elections were held in a transparent manner, Karachi “will win its freedom”.

He Paying tributes to the enthusiasm of and spirit of people present at the Bagh-i-Jinnah he said he was standing before the tomb of Quaid-i-Azam, Father of the Nation who gave Pakistan, but the life did not gave him time to give the nation gift of the democracy but this dream was fulfilled by Quaid-i-Awam by giving 1973 constitution. The mission of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was taken up by Benazir Bhutto to give back rights to people and peoples power should be used in the interest of the people.

He said in Pakistan there had always been two forces in Pakistan one is Bhuttoism and the other are follower of dictatorship.

He recalled the sacrifices of the PPP in the struggle for democracy in the country against dictatorship including bomb explosion in the mammoth rally of Benazir Bhutto on Oct 18, 2007, in Karachi and martyrdom on Dec 27 in Rawalpindi. He said Bhuttoism is against extremism, and dictatorship an did not indulge in politics of religion, ethnicity and region but only of Pakistan because PPP is the symbol of Federation and Bhuttoism the chain of the country. He said if there would be no PPP, the caravans of light would lost their way.

He said Nawaz Sharif is the prime minister of Pakistan but he had spent all resources to check sit-ins. He said the sit-ins were also staged against the PPP government but we rolled back our government in Balochistan after the sit-ins by Hazara community while in the government of Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif 14 people were killed ad an FIR was also registered against him but he is product of Ziaul Haq.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2014