• Says caravans from across the country to join PPP’s long march against inflation
• Welcomes leader from Dera Murad Jamali into party fold

DERA MURAD JAMALI: Pakis­tan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that while people have already lost trust in the government, it is high time the parliament showed the door to the ‘selected’ rulers by expressing no confidence in the government.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was depriving the people of food, clothes and shelter, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, adding that this was unacceptable to the PPP that had introduced the slogan of ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makan’ in the country.

The PPP would launch a long march for the protection of the democratic rights of the people, said the PPP chairman while addressing a public meeting in Goth Allah Bakhsh Khan Umrani of Naseerabad district on Sunday afternoon.

Fed up with the policies of the incompetent rulers that resulted in an unprecedented price hike, people were ready to take to the streets and march on Islamabad to oust the ‘selected’ rulers, he said.

He said the long march would begin on February 27 at all costs for ousting those who not only stole the mandate of the people but also dep­rived them of their democratic rights.

“The main objective of our long march is to get the people their democratic rights,” he said, adding that the march would start from Karachi and party caravans from across the country would join it as it passed through different areas.

“We would oust the selected rulers by adopting a democratic way,” Mr Bhutto said, adding that the party would not compromise on the rights of people at any cost.

While referring to the health insurance scheme, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the PPP was providing international-level health facilities to the people in Sindh, but the PTI rulers were unable to see it because they ran the health system only through propaganda.

The PPP chairman said the PTI leaders were deceiving people in the name of so-called ‘universal’ health coverage. He said the PPP after coming into power with the people’s support would provide the best free medical facilities. “We will provide free health facilities to the people at their doorstep across the country,” after which there would be no need for such health cards, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said.

Presently the PPP government was providing best healthcare facilities not only to the residents of Sindh but also to those coming from other provinces, he claimed.

The PPP chairman strongly opposed the economic and other policies of the Centre and said the PTI government failed to give any relief to the people who were badly hit by inflation.

Whenever the country faced economic and other crises, the PPP leadership by adopting people-friendly policies put the country back on the track of development and provided employment to the people, he said. “The selected rulers have no vision to resolve the issue of unemployment, which is incr­easing with every passing day,” he said, adding that the PPP always fought against poverty whenever it came into power.

On the occasion, Mr Bhutto-Zardari welcomed Sardarzada Baba Ghulam Rasool Khan Umrani who along with other elders of the area joined the PPP.

PPP’s Balochistan chapter president Mir Changez Khan Jamali, former chief minister Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, chief organiser of the party’s provincial chapter Abdul Qadir Baloch, Mir Sadiq Umrani and ex-senator Mir Saifullah Khan Magsi were also present.

While speaking on the occasion, Mr Jamali highlighted the issue of the shortage of canal water and said that the Sindh government should ensure providing Balochistan’s Indus water share. He apprised the party chairman that the green belt of Naseerabad division was turning into desert since the area was not receiving its due share from the Indus water.

Ex-president of PPP’s Balochistan chapter Mir Sadiq Umrani said that since die-heart Jiyalas had always struggled for the rights of the people, they were raising their voice against urea crisis and water shortage.

In their speeches, Sanaullah Zehri, Mir Ali Madad Jattak, Sardar Changez Khan Sasoli and others assured their full support to the PPP not just in the next general elections but also in the upcoming local government polls.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2022