HYDERABAD: The Hydera­bad chapter of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) celebrated the party’s 53rd founding day by holding a cake-cutting ceremony at the residence of central information secretary Senator Maula Bux Chandio on Tuesday.

Mr Chandio said that the anti-government struggle launched by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had unnerved the [Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf] government and created chaos in its ranks.

“Those who had disturbed PPP had always paid its price,” he remarked while speaking to the media and party colleagues after cutting the cake.

He observed that the “anti-workers” government at the centre had not given a single job in its two-and-a-half years of rule but retrenched thousands of workers in a single day. He claimed that this government benefited investors alone and favoured bureaucrats. But, he added, even these investors were disappointed over their support for the government.

Mr Chandio said that the PTI government lacked representatives of the poor. Those who had brought it to power were themselves showing remorse on their decision, he claimed.

“PTI ministers must understand that the [PDM] movement will not stop ... you are free to institute false cases [against opposition leaders and supporters],” he said.

The senior PPP leader observed that Pakistan was facing worst conditions in the world, and only continuity in policies and stability in the system could ensure its progress. “A democratic system always extricates a country out of crises,” he said.

He said PDM’s Multan public meeting proved that the Bhutto family was serving the masses. “Aseefa Bhutto made her political debut in Multan in difficult conditions to show that she is also with people. She also proved that her brother Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is not alone and that she will be with him in politics,” he said.

Mr Chandio told the audience that “those who are not afraid of going to prison, would not be afraid of tendering their resignations as well”.

He contested PTI ministers’ claim that people had rejected PDM. “If PDM has been rejected, then why the government resorted to arresting its opponents?” he argued.

He said everyone knew that there was a price hike in the country but the prime minister described it as propaganda.

Senator Chandio remarked “whenever a government is about to step down, it does not allow opposition to hold its public meetings”. He believed that what was witnessed in Multan, would be seen in the entire country.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2020