THATTA: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday claimed that the “unwise and ill-planned” economic policies of Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had ruined the country resulting in rapid unemployment, shrinkage of livelihood resources, making people homeless and displaced.

Addressing a press conference at Malkani House Makli, the PPP chief said it was crystal clear and known to the entire world that Prime Minister Imran Khan had miserably failed to deliver.

The PPP chairman had arrived at Malkani House to condole the death of the mother of PPP-Sujawal district president Mohammad Ali Malkani.

He questioned the PM’s claim about his commitments regarding construction of five million houses for the poor, plantation of billions of trees, jobs to 10m unemployed youth in Pakistan, etc.

Instead, the prime minister made hundreds of families homeless by demolishing their houses in the name of anti-encroachment operations, retrenching hundreds of employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills, Sui Southern Gas Company and other organisations, he said.

Asks centre to stop playing politics on issues like water shortage, NFC award

He said the lavish house of Imran Khan at Banigala was intact but the houses of the poor were demolished in Pakistan during the era of Imran Khan.

‘Irsa blocking Sindh’s water share’

Referring to PPP workers who gave a rousing welcome to his caravan from Ghaggar Phatak to Makli at different places in Thatta by showering rose petals on his motorcade, he said he and his party workers would stand firm and fight for the legitimate rights of the people.

He said he believed that people were highly exhausted of this “unwise” leader and there seemed to be no option but to take to the streets and launch a wider protest campaign for his removal.

He said under a “conspiracy” the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) was blocking the legitimate water share of Sindh and making the province barren.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that due to Irsa’s stance Sindh, particularly lower Sindh including Thatta, Sujawal and Badin districts, were suffering a lot. At least the federal government should not play politics on the sensitive issues of water as well as the National Finance Commission award, he added.

Responding to a question against the backdrop of the situation in Afghanistan, the PPP chief said he was confident that this time the establishment would not allow any illegal influx of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and law and order would be maintained properly.

He promised the establishment of a chest pain unit by the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) in Thatta, activation of IBA University and a building for the Sindh University campus at Makli.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, along with other party leaders, were also present.

HYDERABAD: Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that PPP would oust “selected and incompetent” government with masses’ support. He accused federal government of committing “robbery” on the rights of Sindh, adds our Hyderabad correspondent.

He was speaking at a gathering of party workers in Tando Allahyar where he arrived for an overnight stay from Thatta on Friday. Newly appointed Sindh Minister Zia Abbas Shah also spoke.

The PPP chairman said that the people of Tando Allahyar had always stood with PPP and supported Z.A. Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. He said people of Tando Allahyar had opposed generals Zia and Musharraf and now with their help PPP would oust this “inept and selected” government.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2021