HYDERABAD, Nov 28: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) backed by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement appears to be heading for yet another showdown with its opponents including Sindh-based nationalist parties, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (MPL-F) and some other political and religious groups on Friday.

The day has already been declared ‘black day’ by Sindh Bachayo Committee (SBC), which is spearheading a sustained campaign against the recently enacted Sindh People’s Local Government Act, 2012, and has given a call for a complete strike to force the government to repeal the law.

The SBC, supported by Sindh United Party (SUP), a conglomerate of several Sindh-based nationalist and political groups and has also planned to block highways, enforce a shutterdown and organise public meeting, rallies and sit-ins across Sindh on Friday.

Since the strike plan was announced a week back, provincial PPP leadership has been warning the opponents against taking the law into their own hands. PPP ministers have recently vowed to deal with miscreants sternly if they tried to disrupt routine life in the name of protest.

On Wednesday, Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, announced in Karachi that Nov 30 was PPP’s 46th founding day and would be celebrated in a befitting manner.

Criticising his party’s estranged ally, PML-F, and nationalist groups for planning a strike that day, he said that instead of resorting to protests and strikes, they should join efforts to strengthen the national economy.

A PPP statement said that Federal Minister for Political Affairs Maula Bukhsh Chandio, Sindh Minister for Fisheries Zahid Ali Bhurgari, MNA Ameer Ali Shah, MPA Syed Amjad Ali Shah and other party leaders would participate in the founding day celebrations in Hyderabad.

The main event would be held at Talpur House in Tando Jam where a 46-pound cake would be cut to mark the occasion, it said, adding that the party’s women, youth, student and labour wings would also hold separate events in this regard.

Senator Aijaz Dhamra, who is also president of the People’s Youth Organisation, Sindh, and PPP Hyderabad president Ahsan Abro have warned that no one will be allowed to sabotage the celebrations.

In a joint statement issued in Hyderabad on Wednesday, they said PPP jiyalas had faced long imprisonments and intense torture during the dictatorship era for the party, adding that they would not allow anyone to disrupt or sabotage celebration events on any pretext.

“If any harm came to any PPP worker, no one will be safe in his house”, they warned the groups “until recently raising slogans of secession and confederation”.

PML-F endorses strike call

PML-F Hyderabad chapter has endorsed the Nov 30 strike call and announced that its workers would block the National Highway and observe a complete strike against the LG system.

Speaking at a press conference at the local press club on Wednesday, acting PML-F president Haji Niaz Ahmed, general secretary Rafiq Ahmed Magsi, Chaudhry Zafarullah and Fazal Behan said party workers and supporters would join in all the protests organised by the parties and groups forming the Sindh Bachayo Committee.

They warned that any attempt to obstruct their protest would be accordingly responded. They said they would also stage a sit-in on the National Highway.

They said people would record their protest on Friday to condemn use of un-parliamentary language against women legislators.

They said they had held meetings with traders, shopkeepers, transporters and other people to make the strike successful.

Awami Tehreek President Ayaz Latif Palijo has, meanwhile, welcomed the statement of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif supporting the strike call.

Mr Palijo alleged that the PPP government was conspiring against the country at the instance of foreign imperialist forces.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, he said the country was passing through a critical phase. “There is unrest in Balochistan, extremism has taken roots in Wana and Swat, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is rocked by suicide bombers every day,” he observed, adding that Karachi was handed over to terrorists while the new local government system was being introduced to divide Sindh under a conspiracy.

If democratic forces did not act now and prefer their personal interests over the national interests, the country’s very existence would be in jeopardy, he warned.

He accused the PPP government of pushing the country towards a 1971-like situation, and said it was, therefore, necessary that all democratic forces forged unity and played their due role in saving the country.

Mr Palijo hailed the Supreme Court directives about delimitation in Karachi, and said this was necessary to bring an end to the monopoly of one ethnic group in that city. “Karachi must be de-weaponised,” he stressed and proposed an across-the-board operation for the purpose.