LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday severely criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government for the unprecedented price hike, unemployment and poverty in the country.

Speaking to party workers at the residence of Arshad Shah, PPP Naudero president, in Pir Jo Goth on the outskirts of the town, Bilawal-Zardari said only recently, a heavy increase of Rs10 per litre in petrol price was announced and the prime minister had promised no more increase. However, another Rs8 a litre increase had been announced which further pushed up prices of all essential commodities, he deplored.

“We had opposed PTI government’s decision to accept IMF’s conditions regarding increase in the electricity and gas tariffs as well,” he said, adding that people of Pakistan were now facing “a historic rise” in prices of common commodities and aggravation of poverty situation.

“It’s the gift to the nation from the federal ministers who had been promising prosperity while speaking in the parliament’s budget session,” he remarked, and pointed out that the national economy had now nosedived.

The PPP chairman said that his party had also gone to IMF during its rule but did not squeeze the masses.

“Zulfikar Ali Bhutto injected energy to strengthen the country and framed appropriate policies that helped the industry and trade to stand on their feet. He designed an appreciable foreign policy. Benazir Bhutto empowered women which globally improved the country’s image,” he recalled, and said: “But the PTI government has now stood exposed”. He told party workers that after disseminating PPP’s manifesto to the people of Gilgit Baltistan, he decided to meet party workers in Naudero, Ratodero and Larkana and hear their problems so as to get them resolved.

His aunt and head of PPP’s women wing MNA Faryal Talpur, who accompanied Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, also spoke to the the workers. She said Naudero was given a girls college, a hospital several schools and other institutions. She said there was a shortage of medicines at the hospital which was met through personal resources with the sole aim of serving people.

Regarding law and order, she advised people not to rely solely on police. “You should go for a chowkidari system in Naudero. We will bear the expenses to be incurred,” she said.

Bhutto-Zardari and Faryal Talpur also visited PPP’s Ratodero president Mumtaz Arabi’s residence where they addressed a similar meeting.

MNA Khursheed Junejo, Aijaz Leghari, Shahid Bhutto, Aijaz Jakhrani, Seemi Farhat Soomro, Jamil Soomro, Nisar Murad Bhutto and others also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2021