PPP to start anti-govt protest from Oct 18: Bilawal

Says PTI govt, its facilitators must be sent packing to establish a peoples’ govt

LARKANA: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said his party would start its protest against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led federal government on October 18 from Karachi.

“We will also protest in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Azad Kashmir. We know how to fight puppets and election rigging,” Bilawal said while addressing a gathering on Monday.

The PPP chief said the PTI and its facilitators have been attacking democratic rights of people for the last one year.  He said it is the government’s responsibility to protect rights of masses, but ‘selected’ governments deprive provinces and people of their rights.

“A selected government could never protect rights of people.  Together we will have to send the PTI government and its facilitators packing and establish a peoples’ government,” he said.

Bilawal said the government caused a Tsunami of inflation and imposed innumerable taxes. According to him, the PTI government is depriving people of their livelihood through its anti-people budget.

“The government has not provided any relief to the people and young people are losing employment. In this scenario, we will have to protect peoples’ economic rights. If we do not become their voice then their rights would continue to be violated.”

He said only the PPP can give relief to the poor. “They are trying to tie hands of the PPP in by-elections of Larkana, but we know how to deal with election rigging and puppet political alliances.

“The PPP has given sacrifices for 1973 Constitutions and the 18th Amendment but our democratic and economic rights are being attacked. We have not been served justice in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto cases. Do our courts do justice?” he asked.

The PPP chairman’s statement amidst a political turmoil created by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman’s announcement to stage a protest against the government in Islamabad on October 31.

Other major opposition parties – the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – are also considering joining the protest which may pose serious threats to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government.

AGENCIES WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM NEWS DESK