‘PPP won’t quit electoral battlefield in Senate’
In the backdrop of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) gearing for a grand rally in Garhi Khuda Bux on former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s death anniversary, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah vowed on Saturday that his party would “not quit the electoral battlefield in Senate elections.”
Saying so while talking to the media in Larkana, where he reviewed the preparations for the PPP’s public meeting today (Sunday), the CM implied that for now, the resignations of opposition legislators were a far cry from the political rhetoric.
“The PPP’s lawmakers have submitted their resignations to the party’s chairperson in the Bilawal House. It’s now up to the leadership to decide when and how to submit them [to the national and provincial assemblies],” he said, adding that opposition parties had decided to get rid of the “cabal of self-proclaimed sadiq and ameen ruling the country.”
The CM said a central executive committee meeting of the PPP, slated for December 29, would discuss the issue of tendering resignations from the legislatures.
Responding to a question, he argued that only a “non-political mind” could put forward the analysis that the PPP would never sacrifice its provincial government by tendering resignations.
“[In fact], they [the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] are afraid of their own federal ministries, which they have received through backdoor [contacts]. People who couldn’t even have been elected as councillors have been made federal ministers and they are worried about their jobs,” alleged the CM.
He said the PPP came to power through sacrifices and political struggle.
Rally arrangements
Meanwhile, the preparations for the rally continued in full swing.
Over 7000 police officers and constables have been deployed to provide security for the gathering. These include 28 SPs, 76 ASPs and DSPs, 92 inspectors, 290 sub-inspectors, 520 assistant sub-inspectors and 5,429 constables.
Special branch officials, Rapid Response Force commandos and Rangers personnel have also been deployed for security purpose.
Besides, 60 walkthrough gates have been installed and all participants will be required to pass through them to join the gathering.
Disposal squads, jammers and scanners will also be used for proper security.
Over 25 CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the entire security situation from inside and outside the Bhutto mausoleum- where the event is organised- for which a cell has also been established.
The leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), including PPP’s chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz will address the event.
Compliance with pandemic SOPs
While speaking to the media on Saturday, the CM defended his party’s decision of organising the public meeting in the face of the government’s ban on the public gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The CM asserted that the organisers would implement all pandemic-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) and that the event would be an open air one.
When asked why the provincial government had failed to enforce the SOPs and smart lockdowns, the CM blamed the federal government.
“Even today, the [Center’s] narrative is that they will not close anything … we want a national narrative [with regards to the enforcement of SOPs].”
Meanwhile, PPP’s leader Sherry Rehman said prime minister Imran Khan had made his worries regarding the PDM’s public meeting manifest. “If politics of opposition parties is so insignificant, then why don’t [PM] Khan and federal ministers tire of commenting on the PMD’s activities?” she questioned.
WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM PPI
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2020.