MIRPURKHAS: Awami Tehr­eek (AT) leaders have alleged that under a secret deal, both the ‘Zardari league’ and the ‘Nawaz league’ have taken turns to plunder resources of the country in general and of Sindh in particular.

They were addressing hundreds of participants of the long march the party had launched against ‘anti-Sindh projects’ from Islamkot, which arrived here on Wednesday.

The marchers, who were welcomed by lawyers, members of civil society and other organisations, reached the Post Office Chowk where they held a sit-in and listened to speeches by their leaders.

AT leader advocate Ghulam Nabi Khoso accused dictators, elected representatives and bureaucracy of looting resources of the country. “We want Pakistan of Jinnah that should be governed with the spirit underlying the 1940 Resolution. Unfortunately, the country has not been ruled even for one day under this resolution,” he said. He alleged that the agents of imperialists had over the years succeeded in getting rid of Quaid-i-Azam, his ideology, dreams and objectives. There was no democracy in the country and rulers were making fools of the masses but Sindhi people would not let themselves be befooled now because they had become awakened, he said.

Sindh’s share in jobs in federal departments was often usurped and not given to its rightful claimants, adding to a sense of deprivation among the masses, he said.

Abdul Qadir Ranto said that Sindhi people had lost all hope in feudal lords of PPP and reposed their trust in AT, which was evident from the warm welcome they had accorded the participators of the long march. He said that roads were destroyed and buildings of schools and hospitals were in a shambles across the province, forcing people to take to the streets and join the long march in large numbers.

AT general secretary Wasand Thari said that the march would ‘bury’ the anti-people project of Gorano reservoir and other such projects and accused the government of making attempts to fail the march.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2017