PPP gears up to counter Centre’s move on Karachi

Sources says party will launch public contact campaign, stage protests against invocation of Article 149 (4)

KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has decided to adopt an aggressive strategy against the federal government’s anticipated move of taking Karachi under its control by invoking Article 149 (4), sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune on Friday.

The ruling party in Sindh, in this connection, will launch a public contact campaign and stage protest demonstrations against the Centre’s move under the slogans of “save Karachi, save Sindh”, “Karachi is a part of Sindh” and “Marsun Marsun Sindh ka Darul Khilafa Karachi na Desun” (We’ll prefer to die but won’t give away Sindh’s capital Karachi).

According to sources, the party would also reach out to the Supreme Court in addition to protesting in the parliament and Sindh Assembly against the controversial move.

Never talked about making Karachi a province: Farogh Naseem

They said the PPP leadership held detailed consultations over Islamabad’s interference in the provincial affairs, especially the recent statement given by Federal Minister for Law and Justice Dr Farogh Naseem.

Naseem’s drew fierce opposition from across the Sindh province after he hinted at the possible invocation of Article 149 (4) in Karachi earlier this week. Several politicians, writers, intellectuals and civil society activists in the southern province termed the statement a ‘conspiracy’ against Pakistan and demanded Naseem’s resignation.

The minister later clarified that many things have been falsely attributed to his name, saying he never talked about making Karachi a province and only those people, who did not want to see the issues of the poor people of the city of lights resolved, were talking about it.

“Article 149 (4) does not talk about governor’s rule. The article can provide direction to the central and provincial governments,” he said while talking to the media on Thursday.

Sindh up in arms over Centre's plan to invoke Article 149 in Karachi

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has geared up for a long battle on legal, public and parliamentary platforms against the federal government’s move and directed the party’s legal experts to come up with constitutional and legal options over the issue.

Sources further said the PPP will fight the legal war with the help of its legal team comprising Aitezaz Ahsan, Farooq H Naek and Sardar Latif Khosa, among others.

The PPP has also decided to consult other likeminded political and religious parties of Sindh on the issue. It has also planned to hold a multi-party conference on both federal and provincial levels to devise a future course of action if needed.

The party can also table resolutions in Senate and Sindh Assembly against the expected action of the federal government as an option if needed, they added.

As part of its public contact drive, the party is mulling options of different types of protests including marches, rallies and sit-ins at public places while keeping the political situation in view, said the sources. “It [PPP] has also considered the option to participate in the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led ‘Islamabad lockdown’ against the PTI government.”