ISLAMABAD: Commending the people of all the four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) for actively participating in Friday’s nationwide protests against price-hike, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said slogans to get rid of Imran Khan were now being echoed in every nook and corner of the country.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the PPP chairman said the chain of “historic and gigantic protests” against inflation had proved that the “economic massacre of the masses by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government could no longer continue”.

“By protesting against inflation in every district, the Pakistanis have rejected Imran Khan’s policies based on his incompetence,” he said, adding that the PPP had represented the sentiments of all Pakistanis by holding protests.

The PPP chairman said the entire country was bearing the alleged inefficiency of Imran Khan as his economic policies had utterly failed, adding that the protests against Imran Khan in every city were an expression of public anger.

He appreciated the party’s office-bearers and workers as well as all sister organisations, including students, youth, women, labourers and farmers’ wings for holding “historical protests against paralysing inflation”.

He also applauded the city organisation of Islamabad for staging protests against inflation.

Eulogising the provincial and district organisations of his party’s South Punjab chapter, he said the people of Wasaib had once again manifested the resistance by protesting against inflation.

He also praised the provincial and district organisations of the Sindh chapter and said Sindh’s resistance against dictatorial regimes and the puppets had always been the party’s hallmark.

He said from Karachi to Kashmore, the people of Sindh came out against inflation and pronounced their verdict against the PTI regime.

The PPP chairman said the public had also rejected Imran Khan’s attempts to drown the city of lights, Karachi, into darkness.

Similarly, he said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had rejected the so-called Tabdeeli tsunami, adding that it was a public referendum as people in every district of the province took to the streets to protest against inflation.

“A nationwide movement against the PTI-led federal government has sprung up,” he added.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the people of Balochistan taking to the streets had presented a charge sheet against “the selected government”, while the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir had shown that they did not accept the “illegitimate government of the PTI”.

“Imran Khan used to say that if a slogan was raised against him, he would resign and today the whole nation is united against the selected prime minister,” he added.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari further said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan, disturbed by inflation, would never forgive Imran Khan for his economic crimes.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2021