KARACHI, June 18: Pakistan People’s Party here on Saturday slammed the regime for failing to provide protection to common man and accused it of harbouring terrorists and killers of opponents.
Speaking at a public rally, organised by the party in connection with the murder of one of its frontline leader Munawar Suhrawardy two years ago, the PPP leaders were unanimous in demanding arrest of his killers, and those involved in high profile murders in the city.
They urged the democracy-loving forces to join hands in the struggle against dictatorship and support the Charter of Democracy.
Speaking ion the occasion, leader of the opposition in the Senate and deputy secretary general of the PPP, Mian Raza Rabbani said there was a long struggle ahead to ensure safe return of Ms Benazir Bhutto and holding of free and faire elections, which he said, was not possible under the present military-led dispensation.
“This anti-people regime needs to be shown the door,” said Mr Rabbani, urging all democratic forces to unite.
He said the regime had deliberately created an unnatural division in the country in which hospitals, schools and textbooks are different for the rich and the poor.
He accused the government of indulging in over-spending in the budget and in this case cited example of import of expensive cars and repair of aircraft for the prime minister.
Mr Rabbani also rejected the argument that General Musharraf could be elected President by the present assembly. He maintained that the law and order had totally collapsed and the government was not capable of providing security to the people.
He demanded that such a government had no right to stay in power. In this context, he slammed the government for not apprehending the murderers of Munawar Suhrawardy, and those who were responsible for Nishtar Park tragedy and other high profile killings. He said that murder of a senior jail official and his colleagues in broad day-light in the city centre was ample proof of government’s failure.
He also criticised the regime’s privatization policy and criticizing it for persistent power outages that had ruined the economy.
Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro slammed the government for over-spending and presenting anti-people budget which had visible slant against agriculture sector of the province, although the rulers claimed they had given some incentives.
He referred to non-development expenditure of 3 billion rupees and maintained that only one-fourth was for the poor.
He claimed that budget was anti-agriculture sector and said that as against 33000, only 4000 water courses were lined and only 600 tube wells were made operational.
Prof Ghafoor Ahmad, Naib Ameer of Jamat-i-Islami also slammed the government for crumbling law and order, mounting unemployment, rising prices and suppression of political opponents.
Afaq Shahid, N D Khan, Taj Haider, Hassan Turabi, Muzaffar Shujra, Salim Zia, Nasrullah Shaji, Shahi Sadr, Farid Ansari, Farid Ansari and others also spoke.
