Roaming in the dark: Pakistan devoid of national leaders, deplores Safdar Abbasi

Estranged PPP leader says party’s bad policies have confined its vote bank to rural Sindh


Our Correspondent February 19, 2016
Estranged PPP leader says party’s bad policies have confined its vote bank to rural Sindh. PHOTO: ONLINE

SUKKUR: The country has been lagging in national leadership as the vacuum left after the assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto still persists, said Pakistan Peoples Party-Workers president Safdar Ali Abbasi at a press conference in Sukkur on Friday.

Paying tribute to Benazir, he said she was a liberal, enlightened and charismatic leader who strictly adhered to the ideology she inherited from her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Addressing the media, Abbasi said it is unfortunate that today, Pakistan is being run without national leadership. He deplored that the PPP government, which came into power following Benazir’s assassination in 2007, was so mired in mismanagement and bad governance that its vote bank declined massively. As a result of the ‘wrong governance’, the party’s influence today has shrunk to rural Sindh, he said, adding that the reason behind this is a lack of interaction between the party leadership and the people.

Abbasi claimed that several diehard workers of the PPP are disappointed with the present leadership and have virtually quit politics. “We have resolved to bring them back,” he assured.

Expressing anxiety over the poor conditions of cities and towns of Sindh, he said Sukkur and Larkana have been reduced to Moen Jo Daro, because of massive corruption and criminal mismanagement of the government.

Talking about PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he said being Benazir’s son and Zulfikar’s grandson, he has edge over others, but he looks confused. He said if Bilawal takes forward the party’s original ideology, practices accountability and holds intra-party elections, then he [Abbasi] is ready to talk to him.

Talking about Benazir’s murder case, ongoing at an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, he said in his opinion the prosecution has not done a good job in making their case.

Criticising the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz government, he said it seems that after Benazir’s assassination, Mian Sahib [Nawaz Sharif] too has lost his lustre and thus a lack of leadership is evident in him.

He said they contested local government elections under the symbol of ‘Victory’ and won 42 seats of general councilors. He was optimistic that his party will win around 30 reserved seats as well. He also announced holding a workers’ convention in Sukkur on February 27.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2016.

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