PPP launches series of protests in South Punjab

Demanded immediate resignation of the prime minister and announced ‘go Nawaz go’ demonstrations across Punjab

MULTAN: Nawaz Sharif is no longer authorised to visit foreign countries as the prime minister of Pakistan. He  has been charge sheeted by the apex court and must resign forthwith. This was stated by ex-governor and PPP South Punjab President Punjab Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood as he spoke to a crowded press conference at the Multan Press Club on Friday.

Pakistan People’s Party has demanded the immediate resignation of the prime minister and announced ‘go Nawaz go’ demonstrations across south Punjab in the first phase. Mehmood said the party would announce the second phase of protest on July 17. "Days are numbered for Nawaz Sharif and this time he should go back home," he added.

While talking about the protest schedule, he said that demonstrations were staged on Friday in three districts of south Punjab including Muzzafargarh, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rahim Yar Khan. Others would be held in Multan, Bahawalpur and Layyah on Saturday and in Khanewal, Bahawalnagar and Lodhran on Sunday.



PPP would issue its second phase of protest strategy after the Vehari and Rajanpur demonstrations which were scheduled for Monday (July 17). He said all party ticket holders, lawyers and office bearers of women wings, labour wings, PSF, PYO, minority wings, human rights wings, ulema wings, PPP cultural, study circle and kissan wings would fully participate in the demonstrations.

Responding to a query, Mehmood did not rule out inviting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to become part of the Charter of Democracy signed by political parties.



He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had released a schedule for a centralised protest strategy for the party to follow.
"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif failed to furnish documents in his defense in the Panama leaks mega corruption scandal," he added. "The PPP divisional, district and city leadership in south Punjab would remain fully engaged in the protest strategy to demand the resignation of the prime minister."



He asserted PPP would stand by the findings of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and its recommendations.

Responding to a query, he said PTI was promoting the politics of opportunism and Imran Khan must revisit his slogan of ‘Naya Pakistan’ to bring turncoats in his party. He flatly rejected that Sardar Qayyum Jatoi was leaving the party and said that he would stand with PPP at any cost.

Mehmood said Nawaz Sharif should remember the victimisation of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari during his tenure in the 1990s.

He said that the government of Nawaz Sharif had committed crimes against PPP and tried Asif Ali Zardari in false and concocted cases. In contrast, Nawaz came to JIT callings in official protocol and cried foul.

Mehmood said Nawaz used to advise Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani to resign, but he himself refused to do the same when found guilty. He warned Nawaz Sharif to resign immediately before the final verdict of the Supreme Court in Panama case.

PPP regained the past culture of struggle under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari, and it would emerge as the largest party of the country by securing seats from all the four provinces in the next general elections, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2017.