KARACHI: A group of protesters pelted Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s motorcade with stones in Lyari on Sunday, but the Pakistan Peoples Party chief put away from his mind, what must have been an unpleasant incident to him, and kicked off his party’s election campaign in its stronghold to an impressive start.

This was the second time in as many days that the PPP leader visited the impoverished neighbourhood which has been his party’s stronghold since the country’s first general elections in 1970. On Satur­day, he offered his condolences over the death of six people who drow­ned in the sea during Eid holidays.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari was received by an impressive crowd at the entrance to Lyari town. However, a group of people pelted his convoy with stones when it was passing through the Agra Taj area.

“We will not be deterred by violent elements who are trying to scare the PPP workers. I am the son of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, who was one of the bravest souls in Pakistan. Lyari is in my blood, I will go to every nook and corner of the country with my party manifesto,” said Mr Bhutto-Zardari after the incident.

Angry protesters pelt party chairman’s motorcade with stones during Lyari visit

The protesters chanted anti-PPP slogans and the atmosphere got charged and could have exacerbated further had the PPP chairman not asked his supporters to refrain from a brawl and change the route, some witnesses said.

The incident occurred when he was going to Chakiwara to address a rally. Former Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah was accompanying his leader in the same vehicle.

The protesters also damaged several other cars. However, police said no one was hurt in the episode.

There were also people who were protesting against water shortages in their area. Some women, while chanting slogans in favour of the PPP, showed containers as a symbol to highlight their demand for the supply of potable water.

Police said they had registered a case against ‘unidentified persons’ over charges of injuring some people, including policemen, and damaging property.

A PPP spokesman said that “an episode designed expressly to disrupt his (Bilawal’s) visit took place when party workers were attacked by around 15-20 people brandishing sticks and pelting stones”.

Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a spokesman for the PPP chief, said the onus of protecting a candidate and ensuring that peace prevailed fell upon the caretaker setup. “They (have) failed in their responsibility to do so.”

He said the media wrongly reported it as a protest against the PPP, while “we believe that it was done deliberately to create an atmosphere of fear creating hurdles in the way of a peaceful election”.

“Our workers showed immense restraint despite great provocation. Forces of violence and political parties that thrive on conflict tried their best to deter us but failed spectacularly,” said Senator Khokhar.

He expressed his ‘shock’ at total media blackout of PPP chairman’s campaign trail following that incident. “It seems there is a sinister move to deprive other political parties of their due coverage except one party. An environment is being created to benefit one ladla party.”

He said the law enforcement agencies “present there refused to act and stood as mere bystanders while stone pelting continued”.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari visited Memon Society, Gharib Shah, Ghanchi Para among other places and returned to the same area when he found no one with stones; instead women and supporters were dancing to the tunes of party songs.

Addressing people at a place, the PPP chairman said it was his first election while those who were contesting their last election were trying to create a state of fear among the people through outrageous and desperate measures.

He said the PPP was the only party which had already made its manifesto public and was determined to continue to serve people, adding that it was his duty to take care of the people of Lyari who had always been the PPP’s backbone during its struggle for democracy.

“I feel that there is much to do for Lyari and the rest of Karachi and we all have to do it collectively,” he added.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had always harmed Sindh, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement which he described as “Mustaqil Qaumi Museebat” was engaged in an intra-party strife.

“Like Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will also fulfil all promises,” he said, adding that the PPP would solve the water issue in Karachi through desalination programme. Besides, he added, “we’ll, if we get power, form a separate federal ministry to create and provide jobs to our people”.

A local PPP leader said his leader’s convoy was attacked at the place where the brother of Javed Nagori, a candidate for a provincial assembly seat in Lyari, was assassinated.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2018