LAHORE: Punjab PPP General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza says former prime minister Imran Niazi is fooling the nation in the name of long march.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Murtaza questioned what kind of long march it is that will start in the evening and end at night. “It will be a short march from Peshawar to Islamabad.”

He said Imran Niazi has named the “Gogi Bachao Tehreek” as Azadi march and alleged that resources of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government are being used for the holding of the so-called long march.

The PPP leader lamented that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has announced the long march on May 25 when the nation will be showing solidarity with Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik, who has been convicted by an Indian court in false and sham cases.

“What the message will we be giving to the world by indulging in petty politicking at a time when the Kashmiri brothers will need a show of solidarity against the conviction of their incarcerated leader?”

Murtaza said on the day when Modi is punishing Yasin Malik, Niazi will be trying to create chaos in Pakistan to divert world attention from Modi’s fascism in the Indian-held Kashmir. He said movements like the long march can be led only by leaders like Bhuttos and not by Niazi, who don’t enjoy public support.

He said the longest march in the history of Pakistan was led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari against the Niazi government and the pressure caused by that movement ousted the Niazi government.

Published in Dawn,May 24th, 2022