HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has said that his party was going to launch a movement for “real” democracy on the pattern of those it had launched against [former military rulers] General Ziaul Haq and General Musharraf.

Addressing a press conference at the residence of the party’s Hyderabad division president Syed Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi on Saturday evening, he recalled that on October 18, 2007 the then PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s homecoming rally was attacked with bombs and guns at Karsaz and an attempt on her life was made.

Mr Khuhro criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for the multiple crises in the country, and said that Pakistan Democratic Movement would baffle his government in the coming days. Observing that today, the opposition was almost equal to the ruling PTI in terms of numbers, the opposition’s strength was unnerving PTI and therefore different tactics were being adopted to break the opposition.

He said that around 200 PPP workers were killed in that tragic incident.

At the party’s public meeting to mark the anniversary of the tragedy this year, leaders of the newly-formed PDM would address the audience, he said.

Commenting on the federal government’s islands development plan, the senior PPP leader said the islands constitutionally belonged to Sindh, explaining that the islands existing within 12 nautical miles from Sindh’s coastline fell in the provincial territory.

In reply to a question, Mr Khuhro said: “There is no harm if PPP joins hands with nationalists for the rights of Sindh and its people”.

Sindh PPP information secretary Aajiz Dhamra, Aftab Ahmed Khanzada and other leaders were also present.

Earlier, the PPP provincial chief chaired a meeting of party workers and office-bearers from Hyderabad division to review the arrangements for workers participating in the Oct 18 event in Karachi.

He also addressed a convention of ‘Peoples Hari Ladies Committee’ in Latifabad.

Mr Khuhro told the participants that women had united against anti-Sindh forces. He said these women passed their lives even without electricity and fans. He said there were parties that would only talk about urban population but PPP always spoke for all segments of population.

He noted that the hari women came from the underprivileged class and the Sindh government was helping them through an NGO.

He said he would request the PPP chairman to widen the scope of this support for these women to entire Sindh.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2020