PPP to launch anti-govt drive from Lahore on Jan 5

HYDERABAD:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday announced that the party will launch a decisive movement against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf government on January 5 next year, with a rally in Lahore – the former bastion of PPP.

He urged the “jyalas” to pull up their sleeves to hammer what he branded as the “puppet government”.
“Time has come to initiate a war against the puppet regime,” he said while addressing a public gathering organised to mark the 14th death anniversary of former premier Benazir Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, a small town of Sindh’s Larkana district.

“We need to realise the dream of Benazir Bhutto and revive this party across the country to restore the rule of real democratic forces,” Bilawal told party workers. PPP co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Sindh’s president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, chief minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah and other party leaders also addressed the rally.

The PPP postponed the party’s central executive committee meeting which was scheduled to be held in Larkana. The PPP chairman said that the meeting will now take place in Lahore on January 5 which is the date of birth of former PM and PPP’s founding leader Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. “The CEC will set up its base in Lahore.”

Bilawal said the country was facing multiple challenges including inflation and “bad governance” because elections in the country had been “rigged through different modus operandi”.

Also read: PPP fails to build Benazir Bhutto monument

“There is no freedom of speech, and no real democracy in the country... we restored democracy in the country and restored the 1973 Constitution in the shape of the 18th Amendment,” he remarked.

Bilawal said his party empowered the provinces of the country in line with the vision of the late PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a step which, he said, enabled the last PML-N government to build projects like Metro Bus and Orange Line train in Lahore. “We made the provinces financially autonomous through NFC [National Finance Commission] award,” he maintained.

The PPP chairman said people of the country were struggling to make ends meet and poverty and unemployment had reached a historic high during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government.
“People’s hardships and economic woes of the country will never end as long as the country is being ruled by puppet rulers,” he remarked.

Bilawal rules out 'deal' to gain power

While referring to the media reports, Bilawal dispelled speculation that the PPP was entering into a deal with the establishment to come into power. “PPP does not believe in politics of deals. We only rely on people’s support. We can never resort to non-democratic politics,” he insisted.

Bilawal while urging the party leaders to take steps to revive the party in different parts of the country said that he will soon visit Punjab to launch an anti-government movement. “Time has come to announce a war against this puppet government… we will announce movement to overthrow this government from Lahore [on January 5] where the foundation of this party was laid down.”

Bilawal said only PPP can topple the PM Imran-led government with the support of the masses and resolve the issues of the masses. “We will form the next government and elect our chief ministers in all provinces,” he told the charged gathering.

Also read: PTI’s recent losses have made opposition more confident

‘Bilawal to materialise late Benazir’s vision’

Speaking on the occasion, former president and PPP leader Asif Zardari proclaimed that only one individual in the current political scene was capable of transforming the fate of poor people: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

"People of Pakistan are not destined to remain poor forever," he said as he threw weight behind Bilawal’s revived anti-government campaign and attempts to revitalise the party in Punjab. Last week, Zardari had said that he would personally be going to “pitch up tents” in Lahore.

 “I am fulfilling the promises made to Benazir Bhutto, and will continue to do so,” he said, adding that the day was not far when the PPP government would form a government in the Centre.

The former president said that PPP, since its inception under Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, had oriented its politics to serve the public. “Our manifesto, thinking and even the hereafter are tied up with the service of the people.  We always pray to the Almighty that we breathe our last while serving the poor,” he added.

Zardari without naming anyone said due to some “stupid individuals, rich country like Pakistan” was reeling under economic crisis.