Karachi - Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday pleaded Karachiites to vote for PPP in next general elections and promised to change the fate of the city through providing free education, employment, revival of industry and promulgation of arts and culture.

Addressing a public gathering of Sindh’s ruling party – first in over 40 years in district Central of Karachi and MQM-P stronghold Liaquatabad, according to PPP claim – Bilawal said that he was a son of Karachi and his success would be the success of this city.

He said that certain forces did not like the relationship of Bhuttos and Karachiites and through a conspiracy they sowed the seeds of lingual politics in the past to wipe out PPP from the city.

“Our support was snatched by force and several of our activists were killed for raising the slogan of Jeay Bhutto but they could not eliminate Bhuttos from the city,” Bilawal said, pointing out that the third generation of Bhuttos was now standing among the Karachiites.

He said that citizens of Karachi have been suffering for past 35 years and he was there to chart out the course for a bright future. “People should join hands with PPP... and I invite youth to join us in taking up the case of Karachi,” he said.

PPP chairman added, “The issues of Karachi could only be resolved by someone who has a love for it and I am a real Karachiite as I was brought up here and got my early education in this city,” he said.

He said the people of Karachi always supported PPP in past and most of the party leadership emerged from this city.

Talking about the bad days when security situation had deteriorated too much, he said, “Our city was burning, people were dying but we did not lay blame on others and took responsibility to bring peace in the city.”

Bilawal said that it was Sindh chief minister under whose command the Karachi operation was made successful but when the peace returned to the city everyone came to claim the credit for it.

“We demanded indiscriminate action [by security forces] and stood in front of terrorists when others begged for their lives from them,” he said.

He said that PPP was not perfect but it was also not a party of terrorists. Instead of [fleeing abroad and] issuing orders from London, the PPP leadership remained here in the city and in the country, he said while referring to MQM chief Altaf Hussain, without taking his name.

“We have liberated the city from the fear of London [where Altaf’s party is headquartered] and are now determined to free it from other menaces also,” he vowed.

Criticising splinter groups that emerged from the old MQM, the PPP chief said that if Altaf Hussain was wrong then his facilitators and associates were also wrong.

Questioning loyalty of MQM-Pakistan leaders, he said, “We were against the politics of Altaf Hussain from day one but here arises a basic question that those who could not stand alongside Altaf- despite a long association- how can they stand with the masses?”

He said Altaf was not a bad person but the system which created him was bad in fact.

Bilawal also raised the issues of missing persons and extra-judicial killings in the city and said that the citizens faced it in the name of action against criminals and many innocent people were killed in target killings.

“This issue is not an issue of Karachi alone and I stand alongside every family who is facing it,” he said, demanding an end to violations of basic human rights in the name of law and order.

PPP chairman said that extremism could not be curbed through such acts [of misuse of power] and for lasting peace there is a need for strong democracy, which in turn requires an unbiased police force, a just judiciary, and a conscious effort by all institutions to work for the implementation of rule of law and constitution.

MQM-P ‘failed’ port city

Criticising MQM-Pakistan for blaming PPP over not giving enough powers and funds to Karachi mayor, Bilawal said that those who are voted by the people are responsible for resolving their issues and the Sindh government has given billions to Karachi mayor for the city but whenever he is made accountable, there is a hue and cry over his powers.

He also blamed MQM for choking gutter lines, leaking water pipelines and other activities aimed at hindering the development projects and facilitation for the Karcahiites. “They are afraid that if the city is cleaned then their politics too would be eliminated,” he said.

“Karachi has massive issues but those who had been voted for past 30 years were unable to resolve these issues,” he added.

PPP chief said that despite being not having electoral mandate from the city, their government completed several infrastructure, health, education, water and sewerage projects in Karachi.

“I want a women’s university in this city and will also make Abbasi Shaheed Hospital one of the state of the art hospitals of the country which is now in worst conditions while being under Mayor’s control,” he said.

‘Imran is much like Altaf’

Bilawal compared Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan with Altaf Hussain and said that both of them are two faces of same coin.

“One used to give calls for strikes the other is staging sit-ins, one would apologise after his foul speeches the other keeps taking U-turns, one controlled the city from London while the other wants to control it from Bani Gala,” he said.

Criticizing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, PPP chairman said that federal government failed to materialise even a single public transport project in Karachi in past five years, it instead created water and electricity woes for Karachiites.

“The recent electricity crisis was resolved on a single visit of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Shehbaz Sharif; Were they not waiting for the election season to come to visit the city and solve its problems?” he asked, adding that those claiming to made Karachi the like of New York should first clean sewage lines in Gawal Mandi, an area of Lahore city the Sharif brothers hail from.

Criticising Nawaz Sharif, he said the former prime minister never stayed in Karachi for even a night and his slogan of respect for vote would never materialise unless he gives respect to voters, constitution and parliament.

Bilawal asked the Karachiites to decide whether they want their mandate to once again go in those hands that would bring sufferings.

Murad blames Zia for communal hatred

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that those who migrated from India were living a peaceful life in different parts of the province but a dictator Ziaul Haq sowed seeds of hatred to divert attention from his activities and create infighting among different entities of the province.

“The Karcahiites were suffering this for past 30 years and it is us who launched a successful operation and brought peace to the city,” he said, adding that it was due to PPP efforts that the spiritual leader of Bohri community visited Karachi after 21 years, and PSL and other sports events were held in the city.

Others who also spoke on the occasion included Opposition Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman, former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani, former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah and PPP Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro.

Anti PPP protest and banners

Scores of the women staged a protest at Liaquatabad against the PPP government before the PPP public gathering.

Portraying them as residents of Karachi without having any political affiliation, they raised slogans against the PPP leadership and Sindh government.

Banners inscribed with anti-PPP slogans were also seen in the areas around the venue of PPP gathering. Some of the banners read: ‘PPP [leaders are] the killers of Muhajirs’, ‘PPP turned Karachi into a garbage yard’, and ‘PPP has brought poverty to Karachi’.

 

 

PPP is your best bet, Bilawal tells Karachiites