To keep a count of the exact number of people showing up at the Pakistan Peoples Party rally on October 18, the party's leadership has asked their local leaders to make videos of convoys and upload them on a website.
This way the party will know the mode of transport, what arrangements were made and how many people came from which district. Some caravans were due to set off on Thursday evening while many others are planning to be on the road by Friday afternoon.
Off to Karachi
In Upper Sindh, several of the party's senators, MNAs, MPAs and ministers are putting up all their energies in mobilising people in their constituencies.
Since the date and location of the rally were made public, high-level meetings have been held every day to chalk out strategies to attract a larger crowd. The party leadership's primary focus has been on three districts - Khairpur, Larkana and Shaheed Benazirabad.
According to sources, the party's MNAs, MPAs, district and taluka level leaders have been assigned the task to arrange for transport and bring as many people as possible. A source claimed that the party leaders, including Nisar Khuhro, Ayaz Soomro and Khursheed Junejo, were so involved in gathering a crowd that no one bothered to coordinate with the teams arranging for transport.
While talking to The Express Tribune, Fida, a labourer, said that the PPP had been in power in Sindh for several years, and despite their tall claims, had done nothing to change the fate of the poor.
"We are not concerned with the jalsa," he said. "This jalsa will not give food to our families."
On the road
A convoy of 100 vehicles is scheduled to leave for Karachi from Khairpur, the chief minister's home seat, under the supervision of MNA Nafisa Shah. Separately, a large number of vehicles will be led by MNA Nawab Wasan and MPA Manzoor Wassan.
In Ghotki, the Mahar sardars and other PPP leaders are trying to get as many vehicles and people as they can. According to sources, many officers and taluka municipal committees have been asked to send their men to Karachi.
In Sukkur, where the PPP has a senator, two MNAs and three MPAs, arrangements are under way to take large number of people to Karachi. According to sources, Senator Islamuddin Shaikh has been assigned the task of arranging 200 vehicles for party workers, while others including, MNA Khursheed Ahmed Shah, MPAs Nasir Hussain Shah, Awais Shah and others will also arrange for transport.
Sanam Fakir, a leader of the transgender community in Sukkur who has recently joined the PPP, said that she will be going to Karachi to hear PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari speak. She added that they held a meeting at her house to discuss this with the party leadership in Sukkur. In preparation for the rally and her trip to Karachi, Fakir said that she had bought a new dress and would go to the salon for a facial.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2014.
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If the participants in this Karachi jalsa will be brought in from interior Sindh, then they should have organized this jalsa in Larkana. In Karachi, they have zero support.