PPP organises rallies, demos against Zardari’s arrest
Constitution and law were violated when Zardari was arrested, say PPP leaders
PPP leaders and workers demonstrated on Tuesday against the party co-chairperson’s arrest by NAB authorities. PHOTO: INP
KARACHI:
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) organized rallies and demonstration in various cities of the province on Tuesday to protest the arrest of party's co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari a day earlier
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Zardari on Monday in a money laundering case after his bail application was rejected by the Islamabad High Court on Monday.
Activists and workers of the party organized protest meetings in various areas of the city which were addressed by provincial and local leaders of the PPP. While addressing the protesters, the speakers at various demonstrations said that the PPP leadership was not afraid of these arrests. They said that they would face the atrocities by the NAB and maintained that Zardari's arrest was an act of political revenge.
The protesters blocked the motorway from Karachi to Hyderabad at Sohrab Goth which caused a traffic jam. The flow of traffic was also disrupted on both tracks of road on Korangi Crossing where protesters staged a sit-in. The protesters at Lyari Baloch Chowk shouted slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and Prime Minister Imran Khan. Women living in Lyari also participated in the protests and demanded Zardari's immediate release.
While addressing the protesters at Hassan Square, PPP Sindh's General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said that on Monday the Constitution and law was violated when Zardari was arrested without any order. He said that the PPP faced Ziaul Haq's dictatorship and the PTI government cannot scare them. He said that the aim of arresting Zardari was to stop him from speaking about public issues.
The female workers of PPP from districts South, East and Korangi protested at Karachi Press Club under the leadership of Samira Anwer, Naima Burero, Yasmin Mushtaq.
While addressing the protesters, Anwer and Burero said that arrest, handcuffs and prison were not new to the PPP. They said that they have always respected the law and the judiciary and always accepted its decisions, however, they demand accountability should be carried out without discrimination.
They said that political revenge under the guise of accountability was unacceptable. They said that everyone was equal under the law.
Anwer and Burero said that Imran Khan should avoid indulging in politics driven by revenge and shouldn't use NAB to victimise political opponents. They declared the Zardari's arrest as the worst form of political revenge.
PPP's Korangi district workers protested against the arrest by holding placards and banners. They gathered at Korangi Crossing under the leadership of Korangi District's President Javed Sheikh, General Secretary Choudhry Asghar Arain and Information Secretary Jani Memon.
The PPP leaders said that revenge has made Imran Khan blind and NAB is being used as an instrument for political revenge.
Accountability drama
Addressing a protest gathering organized by Central district, Sindh Local Government Minister and PPP's Karachi division President Saeed Ghani said that a drama was being staged in the country in the name of accountability. The purpose of arresting Asif Ali Zardari a day ahead of budget and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif on the day of budget is clear, he said.
He claimed that the government wanted to ensure that the anti-people budget should be passed without debate. He said that PPP was staging protests from Karachi to Khyber, in all cities and villages, against the atrocities of NAB, political revenge and skyrocketing inflation. The demonstrations will continue until people are given relief, Ghani said.
He maintained that the protest demonstrations had sent a clear message to the government and NAB that their tactics and arrests could not force PPP to cower. He said that the extent to which the prices of medicines, petrol, electricity and gas had risen had not only made the lives of the poor miserable but also the middle-class.
Ghani said that they were not opposed to accountability but it must be ensured it was done across the board. The PTI government has started arresting the leadership of the opposition parties on baseless charges. NAB's law is different for PPP and Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid. This is just a drama in the name of accountability. The people of the country will never tolerate this, he claimed and said that the government may arrest all of their leaders and workers but they will continue to raise their voice against the anti-people policies the PTI government.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2019.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) organized rallies and demonstration in various cities of the province on Tuesday to protest the arrest of party's co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari a day earlier
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested Zardari on Monday in a money laundering case after his bail application was rejected by the Islamabad High Court on Monday.
Activists and workers of the party organized protest meetings in various areas of the city which were addressed by provincial and local leaders of the PPP. While addressing the protesters, the speakers at various demonstrations said that the PPP leadership was not afraid of these arrests. They said that they would face the atrocities by the NAB and maintained that Zardari's arrest was an act of political revenge.
The protesters blocked the motorway from Karachi to Hyderabad at Sohrab Goth which caused a traffic jam. The flow of traffic was also disrupted on both tracks of road on Korangi Crossing where protesters staged a sit-in. The protesters at Lyari Baloch Chowk shouted slogans against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and Prime Minister Imran Khan. Women living in Lyari also participated in the protests and demanded Zardari's immediate release.
While addressing the protesters at Hassan Square, PPP Sindh's General Secretary Waqar Mehdi said that on Monday the Constitution and law was violated when Zardari was arrested without any order. He said that the PPP faced Ziaul Haq's dictatorship and the PTI government cannot scare them. He said that the aim of arresting Zardari was to stop him from speaking about public issues.
The female workers of PPP from districts South, East and Korangi protested at Karachi Press Club under the leadership of Samira Anwer, Naima Burero, Yasmin Mushtaq.
While addressing the protesters, Anwer and Burero said that arrest, handcuffs and prison were not new to the PPP. They said that they have always respected the law and the judiciary and always accepted its decisions, however, they demand accountability should be carried out without discrimination.
They said that political revenge under the guise of accountability was unacceptable. They said that everyone was equal under the law.
Anwer and Burero said that Imran Khan should avoid indulging in politics driven by revenge and shouldn't use NAB to victimise political opponents. They declared the Zardari's arrest as the worst form of political revenge.
PPP's Korangi district workers protested against the arrest by holding placards and banners. They gathered at Korangi Crossing under the leadership of Korangi District's President Javed Sheikh, General Secretary Choudhry Asghar Arain and Information Secretary Jani Memon.
The PPP leaders said that revenge has made Imran Khan blind and NAB is being used as an instrument for political revenge.
Accountability drama
Addressing a protest gathering organized by Central district, Sindh Local Government Minister and PPP's Karachi division President Saeed Ghani said that a drama was being staged in the country in the name of accountability. The purpose of arresting Asif Ali Zardari a day ahead of budget and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif on the day of budget is clear, he said.
He claimed that the government wanted to ensure that the anti-people budget should be passed without debate. He said that PPP was staging protests from Karachi to Khyber, in all cities and villages, against the atrocities of NAB, political revenge and skyrocketing inflation. The demonstrations will continue until people are given relief, Ghani said.
He maintained that the protest demonstrations had sent a clear message to the government and NAB that their tactics and arrests could not force PPP to cower. He said that the extent to which the prices of medicines, petrol, electricity and gas had risen had not only made the lives of the poor miserable but also the middle-class.
Ghani said that they were not opposed to accountability but it must be ensured it was done across the board. The PTI government has started arresting the leadership of the opposition parties on baseless charges. NAB's law is different for PPP and Pakistan Muslim League - Quaid. This is just a drama in the name of accountability. The people of the country will never tolerate this, he claimed and said that the government may arrest all of their leaders and workers but they will continue to raise their voice against the anti-people policies the PTI government.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2019.