| Thanks Karachiites in joining battle against govt | Argues inflation, economic crisis forced people to protest | Says neither Sindh nor Pakistan can progress till PTI is in power | Kick starts long March with slogan ‘go selected’
From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Chairperson Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday addressed a huge, charged crowd in Karachi at the start of the PPP’s Awami Long March against the incumbent government. During his address, Bilawal remarked that the people of Karachi had gathered at the Quaid-e-Azam mausoleum to “send the selected, illegitimate and incapable [government] home.”
Bilawal raising the slogan of “go selected go”, said that Karachi is a city where people came from every province and that the economy of the country ran with their sweat and blood.
“The people have been compelled to send Imran Khan home because this illegitimate, incapable and incompetent selected have robbed the people of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [K-P] of their rights,” he claimed, adding that the PTI government had robbed the people of their votes, pockets and livelihoods.
He emphasised that the entire opposition had decided to send Prime Minister Imran Khan home and that the jiyalas (supporters) of the PPP were at the forefront of this movement.
“No power can stop these jiyalas,” he said.
Bilawal further said that the Quaid-e-Azam had promised that the country will be a parliamentary democracy but the incumbent government had “attacked our democracy, our economy and human rights”.
“We will complete the mission of Quaid-e-Azam and Shaheed mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and defend the 1973 constitution, the rights of the people and the economy of this country,” he stated.
Bilawal claimed that “the PPP had always defended the rights of the people, increased salaries and pensions, and given rights to the provinces and made them the owner of their own resources.”
He alleged that the “puppet” Imran Khan wanted to dismantle the 18th amendment and NFC award.
“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah is trying to serve the people of the city of Karachi and this province despite the fact that the puppet government of Imran Khan does not provide the due share from NFC to provinces,” Bilawal said.
He maintained that the ruling party has made Pakistan one of the most corrupt countries in the world, adding that Transparency International had declared the PTI government as the “most corrupt government in history”.
The PPP chairperson said that the “awami” government will provide resources to the provinces and hence, all cities will get their due share.
He said that it was impossible to achieve anything until “this puppet” was in the government and the PTI-IMF deal was in place.
“The time has come to bring the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan and send him home. Now with this march, cries will be heard from Bani Gala,” he said.
According to Bilawal, the PPP will put the demands of the people of every city on the way to Islamabad during this long march.
“We will attack this government after reaching Islamabad,” he said.
Prior to Bilawal, PPP leaders Murtaza Wahab, Raza Rabbani, Murad Ali Shah, Nisar Khoro and Qamar Zaman Kaira also addressed the people.
Long march route: The march began from Mazar-e-Quaid on February 27 (today) at 10 am and the protesters will reach Badin where they will spend the night. The protesters will resume their journey on February 28 passing through Hyderabad, Hala and Nawabshah and end its second day at Moro.
Marchers will reach Khairpur city on March 1 and end their third day in Sukkur. The long march will then continue from Sukkur on March 2 from where the protesters will reach Rahim Yar Khan.
On March 3, the PPP convoy from Rahim Yar Khan, passing through Bahawalpur and Lodhran will end its fifth day with a large public gathering in Multan.
