KARACHI: The 13th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is set to become another power show of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari directly contacted on Thursday leaders of the parties in the PDM and invited them to attend the Dec 27 rally in Larkana.

The PPP chairman first called former chief minister of Balochistan and leader of the National Party Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, discussed with him the current political scenario in the country and invited him to attend the Dec 27 rally, said a statement issued from Bilawal House.

“The two leaders held a discussion about the upcoming Senate elections,” it said. “The PPP chairman also called senior vice president of the Awami National Party (ANP) Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and invited him to the Dec 27 rally in Garhi Khuda Bux. The two leaders discussed political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other national issues and challenges being faced by the country.”

Mr Bhutto, the statement said, also called the chief of Qaumi Watan Party, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and also invited him to the rally.

The PPP chairman also condemned the arrest of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement MNA Mohammad Ali Wazir in Peshawar. In a separate statement, he said the arrest of an elected member of the assembly in this way was against democratic traditions.

Condemns PTM leader Ali Wazir’s arrest in Peshawar

“Holding public meetings were no crime to arrest an elected representative,” the statement quoted Mr Bhutto-Zardari as saying. “The cases registered against the elected representatives and political leaders are baseless. Such acts won’t bring good results if the regime continues to muzzle freedom of expression. It has been the modus operandi of the fascist governments to implicate the elected representatives in false cases to crush the public voice.”

In a related development, a Peshawar court on Thursday allowed Sindh police to shift arrested MNA Ali Wazir to Karachi in connection with a case registered against him and several leaders of the PTM after a recent public meeting in the Sindh capital.

Khuhro predicts ‘huge turnout’ at rally

Meanwhile, the PPP Sindh leadership sounded confident about the Dec 27 rally expecting all key leaders of the PDM in Garhi Khuda Bux next week. PPP Sindh president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said that the PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz with other leaders of the PDM was expected to participate in the anniversary of the assassinated PPP chairperson.

Speaking at a press conference in the committee room of the Sindh Assembly with Sindh Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and senior PPP leader Aajiz Dhamra, Mr Khuhro said that “This year’s rally would be [a] massive one and we expect a huge turnout of people on the day.”

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2020