ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party –Workers on Monday established a hunger strike camp outside the National Press Club to launch a social, economic and political revolution in the country.

Workers and supporters of PPP-Workers gathered at the camp in the morning and observed a hunger strike till night.

They announced the camp will be established again after Ramazan.

PPP-Workers President Safdar Abbasi, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s close aide Naheed Khan, Ibne Rizvi, Fayyaz Khan and others were also present at the camp.

Naheed Khan calls for country to be made welfare state, ban on spending large sums on electioneering

Naheed Khan said the hunger strike was for starting a social, economic and political revolution in the country.

She said there was need to highlight the social, economic and political issues of the common man instead of the power struggle in politics.

She said the voice of the common man has not been heard since the assassinations of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Benazir Bhutto. She said the richest families of the country have come in politics again and are working for their own interests.

She presented a charter of demands for making the country a welfare state where people will get free education, health facilities and for eliminating unnecessary taxes on the people.

“The election commission should conduct fair and free elections in all political parties and end the practice of spending large sums of money on electioneering so the common man can stand for elections to the provincial and national assemblies,” she said.

She said the quota for minorities in national and provincial assemblies should be increased so they are able to fight for their rights.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Abbasi said the revolution for social, economic and political rights was necessary as the mainstream political parties pay no heed to the problems of the common man.

“The biggest problems people are facing are still of food, shelter and clothing,” he said.

He said the country has been experiencing a leadership crisis after the deaths of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

“We want the country to be a welfare state where the poor and middle class are included in politics and the government is responsible for its citizens throughout their lives,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2018