GUJRAT: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday said that the ideology of the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had expired as the poor masses in Sindh were dying from poverty, malnutrition and dog bites.

She was addressing a ceremony at the Hafizabad Press Club on Sunday.

In her response to Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s remarks at his party’s convention in Quetta, she said the deposed corrupt political leaders were misleading the nation through a false narrative.

“They only feel pain of the poor masses when they are not in power. Public to them means their dear ones and close aides. But, the real problem and matter for concern is the money they have plundered from this country,” she added.

Ms Awan said a ‘politically immature’ party leader was explaining the political philosophy of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Quetta, claiming himself to be Mr Bhutto’s successor.

“He should realise that Larkana, the city of the late Zulfikar Bhutto, has failed to provide medical relief to dog-bite victims and the people of Thar are dying due to poor nutrition. Had Bhutto’s ideology been alive, the plunderers of public money would have been behind the bars,” she added.

She lambasted Mr Bhutto-Zardari for criticising the PTI government and said the Sindh chief minister was just a figurehead. Prime Minister Imran Khan believed in meritocracy whereas the Sindh government was controlled by PPP top brass, she said.

“Bilawal should know that the umpire whom you refer to in your speech is the people who rejected your leadership in Larkana polls. The PPP chairman will have to remain in anxiety for the next four years,” she said.

The special assistant said that the masses would reelect Prime Minister Imran Khan.

She said: “Your party (PPP) has been limited to a few districts of Sindh. You buried the ideology of Bhutto and revived the dogma of corruption which led to the debacle of the PPP in the entire country.”

During the past two decades’ rule of the PPP, Karachi had been turned into a Moenjodaro and a dumping site due to the poor administration, she said.

The PM’s aide said people had seen a family flying abroad after getting bail from the court. Along with Nawaz Sharif, his facilitator Shahbaz Sharif had also left the country ignoring his basic role of opposition leader in the National Assembly.

Ms Awan hoped that inflation and economic crisis would come to an end in the near future as the government was working hard to provide relief to the downtrodden segment of society.

She said that realising the problems faced by farmers, the prime minister had increased rates of wheat by Rs365 per 40kg besides taking steps to ensure availability of fertiliser and seed at low cost.

The incumbent government, she said, had included the agriculture sector in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which was earlier confined to mere roads and infrastructure.

“We are going to strengthen the small farmers through easy loans. Moreover, we are also working to provide health cards to the journalist community under the Ehsaas programme,” she added.

The SAPM also announced a grant of Rs1 million for the development of the Hafizabad Press Club.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2019