People’s support needed to oust govt: Bilawal Bhutto

Staff Writer

Hyderabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari this week urged the masses to help him oust Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The PPP leader said that Imran Khan would have to go if Pakistan’s economy was to be saved. He warned of food insecurity crisis if agriculture economy was destroyed.

Bilawal Bhutto was addressing a Kissan Rally at Fateh Chowk where peasants and farmers from entire Hyderabad division had gathered.

Alluding to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), he said that opponents were terming the Sindh Local Gover­n­ment (Amended) Act 2021 a black law because they were foreseeing their defeat in LG polls. “I want a jiyala (PPP worker) mayor in Hyderabad,” he said amid applause.

Bilawal Bhutto said agricultural economy had been destroyed and the peasant was facing hunger. “Agriculture used to be backbone of Pakistan’s economy but the incompetent PM has broken this backbone as a result Pakistan is facing back to back crises.”

He said the farmers were not getting adequate prices for their produce. “The PM left farmers in the lurch during locust attack and didn’t do anything to ensure judicious distribution of water that affected the agricultural production. Now a crisis of fertiliser has hit the farming community.”

He said if the farmers didn’t get adequate price for their produce, consumers would later face problem in cities.

He said the PPP had planned to stage a long march from Karachi to Islamabad on Feb 27. “If masses rise, nobody can stop them from entering Islamabad. We will oust this government in a democratic, legal and constitutional way to establish Awami Raaj.”

He said a true people’s government would resolve problems otherwise it was destruction in the name of ‘change’.

Without naming the MQM, he said the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s allies were out to undermine peace in Sindh. “People of Hyderabad are aware of their past. As long as ethnic organisations keep fomenting ethnic riots, we will not get our rights.”

The PPP chief pledged to raise voice for all the people living in Sindh. “All of them are my brothers and all of us are one. I will not let anyone commit injustices against any community, be it Sindhi speaking, Urdu or Pushto speaking.” He urged the people to foil such conspiracies through their solidarity.

He said new LG system would give financial autonomy to cities. “The mayor would collect property tax from owners of big houses like me,” the PPP leader said.