PPP to launch countrywide protest drive against PTI govt from Dec 17

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday announced a countrywide protest campaign against inflation and energy crisis from December 10, saying that his party would take up the issues at various forums to resist the “anti-people” policies of the “IMF-led” federal government.

"Until the time this government is in power and the [economic] decisions are made as per the agreement with the IMF [International Monetary Fund], the miseries of the people will not come to an end," he said while addressing a news conference at the Sindh CM’s House.

Bilawal, who was flanked by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Information Minister Saeed Ghani, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Murtaza Wahab and MNA Shazia Atta Marri, elaborated that the countrywide protests would be started from December 10 and last till December 17.

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"Our struggle against the ‘puppet’ government and its ‘flawed’ policies will continue and we will announce our further line of action on the death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto on December 27 in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh," he added.

"I believe, the people will continue to suffer until this selected government’s rule remains and the IMF deal goes on.  It’s the PPP’s mission to expose the poverty and unemployment the country is currently facing, and the party will keep protesting against atrocities including the rising fuel prices and shortage of gas.”

The PPP chairman also criticised the federal government for not giving the Sindh government its due share from the divisible pool.

“We will snatch our rights if they don’t give them to us. With more resources in our hands, we can spend more on the development in Karachi and other districts of Sindh.”

Also read: 'Final knockout blow' needed to overthrow PTI govt: Bilawal

He confidently announced that the PPP would form the government in the Centre and all provinces after the next general elections.

"My mother and I were born in Karachi. I hope that people of the city will also vote us in local government elections too.”

Talking about the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2021 recently passed by the Sindh Assembly, Bilawal said the new law would empower the local bodies.

“The promises made with the people of Karachi would be met under the law.”

Bilawal emphasised that to deliver to the people of Karachi, a local government system was necessary.

"Sindh is the only province in which the local government has completed its term for the first time. Now under the new local government system, education, health and all other institutions will be accountable to the local bodies.”

He maintained that division in towns would help in managing the city better and this had become evident from the results.

“Murtaza Wahab has delivered just a few months after he was elected.”

He also said that once the PPP formed the government, further improvements would be made to the country.

 “We will collect property tax worth Rs1 billion from Karachi. If the local body is able to collect this amount, we will be able to generate a large amount of revenue to cater to the problems of the people.”

The PPP chairman also claimed that his party would not mix politics with religion. “It is essential for everyone to work together in order to achieve success. People are trying to divide us based on our languages.”

Bilawal also objected to the ethnicity-based divisions in Sindh.  Responding to a question about the wall chalking and banners in Karachi against the people of Sindh in the wake of the amendments to the LG law, he said: "We have to eliminate [MQM founder] Altaf Hussain’s politics from the city.”