Will continue our struggle for true democracy and people's rights says Bilawal Bhutto

Not afraid of arrests-PPP has a long tradition of sacrifices and struggles 

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed the massive public gathering in Karachi today along with other leaders of PDM.  PPP Karachi Division hosted the huge public meetings under the banner of Pakistan Democratic Movement.

PPP Chairman started his address with paying glowing tributes to the martyrs of the Karsaz carnage and to senior PPP leader late Rashid Hussain Rabbani who died this week after his life-long loyal association with the PPP. 

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said both the selected and their selectors have either to go or come to the same page with Opposition and the people’s narrative. “Real democracy is when governments are formed by the will of the people, not on the finger of the umpire,” he added.

PPP Chairman said that selected and the selectors have attacked the Constitution and the rule of law while democratic forces have decided to fight back in the Parliament, on the streets and in the prisons because jails cannot imprison truth and people’s thinking.

“You cannot ban the cries of hungry children nor can you control the anger of jobless youth. You cannot scare through NAB the people who didn’t get frightened by Karsaz bombings,” he added.

He pointed out that this was not the war of PDM alone, but actually, it is the resistance from labourers, peasants, workers, doctors, students, teachers, government employees and the general masses who have now pledged to snatch back their stolen liberties and freedoms.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also served notice upon the PTI regime to withdraw the Ordinance aimed at annexing the islands from Sindh province by Wednesday else the PPP would get it repealed through legislation tools from the Senate, National Assembly and the Sindh Assembly.

 “You cannot succeed in encroaching upon the province’s islands through ordinances issued in the dead of night. A storm is brewing in Sindh and it is the Constitutional rights of the provinces and the fishermen who own these islands both in Sindh and Balochistan,” he added.

PPP Chairman said that dealing with the natural calamities was the Federal government’s responsibility but PTI regime didn’t help the affected people of recent floods in Sindh, specially in the districts of Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Sanghar, Badin and other parts of province.

“During President Zardari’s government in 2010, flood affectees were supported through Pakistan Cards cash by the Federal government. But this time the PTI regime didn’t extend any support to the ruined people instead it held back Rs 300 billion funds of Sindh government, which could been used for creating job opportunities and restoration of infrastructure in Karachi and other parts of the province” he said.

 Talking about the farcical Rs 1000 billion Karachi Package announced by the puppet PTI Prime Minister, the PPP Chairman pointed out of the announced funds Rs 800 billion are to be contributed by Sindh government while Rs 100 billion had already been committed in the annual development programmes formulated by the previous governments of PPP and PML-N.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari further said that our people were being killed and forcibly disappeared and the state was involved behind it, where a single person proclaims himself democracy, but the people of Pakistan would force the stoppage of this joke with democracy by puppets and their facilitators.
He said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto defended democracy and the people’s inalienable rights through their own blood and fought against dictatorial regimes of Zia and Musharraf laying down their lives but never left the poor and downtrodden in lurch.

PPP Chairman said that PDM was not fighting for power and it was a struggle for the liberties, freedoms enshrined in the democratic Constitution of Pakistan and this movement was part of the chain of democratic struggles carried out under the banners of MRD, ARD and the Charter of Democracy signed by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif.

He said the PTI regime has pushed the masses into brutal inflation, price-hike of utility items through grand thefts of wheat flour, sugar and petrol.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out that institutions, which can protect the people, are being weakened one after another. Parliament, Judiciary and media are under pressure. “We want to strengthen the institutions that may protect the people and democracy. Because where democracy is not strong, the decisions made therein are meant to cater to and protect the interests of only a few individuals,” he added.

Bilawal Bhutto paid tribute to the party workers who sacrificed their lives for democracy and people’s rights. PPP chairman mentioned the courage, sacrifice and struggle of Nasir Baluch, Ayaz Samoon and others.

                                                S M Jatoi Karachi