LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples’ Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that his party will emerge victorious across Pakistan in the upcoming elections.
The former president was addressing a rally at Lahore’s historic Mochi Gate ground to express the party’s support for the Kashmiri struggle against Indian state brutality.
“We will win from Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab,” said the PPP co-chairman in his address.
The former president also vowed to the public that the next elections will be free and fair, adding that no one will go home without casting vote.
“In the previous rally, I had said that we can topple your government,” said Zardari while referring to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
The former president, taking a dig at the ruling party, said: “Mian Sahab, you no longer rule in Balochistan.”
Zardari said that the PML-N leaders do not comprehend the idea of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. “They think it is a scheme for taking loans,” he added.
Zardari further said that for the sake of democracy, the PPP leaders faced jails.
While referring to the occupied valley, Zardari said ‘Kashmir is our jugular vein’.
The PPP co-chairman added that today he is standing at the same place where in the past renowned leaders such as Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto stood.
Earlier, PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan addressed the rally and said that the Sharif family did not present a single evidence in the Panama case.
“Zardari has informed you about the reason for your ouster,” said Ahsan, directing his comment at former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
The PPP leader said that Nawaz failed to effectively raise voice for the plight of Kashmiris.
Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah also addressed the rally. He said that Mochi Ground is the place where the voice was raised for Kashmiris and the rights of the underprivileged.
For today’s rally, over 5,000 chairs had been set up by the organisers. Interestingly, in the recent by-election (NA-120) in Lahore, PPP candidate Faisal Mir received only 1,414 votes with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Kulsoom Nawaz winning the seat by receiving 61,745 votes.
Earlier today, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz also held a public gathering at Muzaffarabad today. Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and others also spoke to the gathering on the occasion.
Millions of Pakistan across the globe mark the day to express their support to the Kashmiris in the struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination under the United Nations (UN) resolution.
‘Every day is Kashmir Solidarity Day for Pakistanis’
In a special message on the day, Pakistan’s representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi said: “Today is the day for solidarity with Kashmir, but for Pakistan and Pakistanis every day is the day for Kashmir solidarity.”
“Here, in UN we raise this [Kashmir] issue again and again, and ask for implementation of UN resolutions,” she remarked.
“We are observing this day to pay tribute to the Kashmiris who have struggled since last 70 years. Their sacrifices will never go to waste. Pakistanis are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their Kashmiris brothers,” she added.
