KARACHI - The Pakistan People’s Party has decided to mobilise the masses in its political bastion soon after Eidul Fitr and would hold public gatherings in major cities of Sindh province to protest against the hike in prices of POL products, deal with IMF and rising inflation in the country.
The decision was conveyed by PPP Sindh provincial president Nisar Ahmed Khuhro to party leaders soon after Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made an announcement in this regard during May Day public gathering in Karachi to take to streets “what he called” against anti-labour and anti-masses policies of the incumbent PTI-led federal government.
“We will stage protests after Ramazan inside and outside the parliament against failed policies of the government,” Bilawal had told his audience at the public gathering.
Preparing its key bastion for the upcoming anti-government protests, the provincial leadership of the party has conveyed to its lawmakers from the province, district office-bearers to prepare themselves for an anti-government campaign. “We will be holding protest demos in Hyderabad, Badin, Sukkur and Dadu after Ramazan,” said a party’s provincial office-bearer on condition of anonymity.
He said that the party has directed its provincial organisational setup to brief cadre over unjust policies of the federal government so that it could further prepare the masses and woo support for the anti-federal government campaign after Ramazan.
“We will also be highlighting issues of provincial autonomy under 18th amendment and plans of bring presidential system in the country in our campaign,” he revealed.
Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has condemned the government for implicating PPP workers (Jiyala) in fake cases for protesting against irrational and unprecedented increase in POL prices. The increase would impact every section of life and dearness and poverty graph would further escalate to skies.
In a statement, the PPP chairman said that the PTI government has, through authoritarian and tyrant actions, proved it is a shadow of dictators. It looks the government has finalised preparations for inflicting state atrocities onto the protests against unbearable inflation in the country.
He said the puppet Prime Minister is now fully bent upon depriving the people of their just democratic right of protest.
The PPP chairman said that the government drowned in sheer vengeance and hate has also booked a late Jiyala in fake case. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari asked the ineligible PM that he should instead of implicating Jiyalas in fake cases, tender unconditional apology to the people on speaking lies.
The PPP chairman demanded that all fake cases registered against Jiyalas in Multan, Lodhran, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur should immediately be withdrawn.
Experts call for implementation of Thalassemia bill
Senior scholar Haji Hanif Tayyab, renowned human rights activist Ansar Barni, cricket star Younous Khan and famous Hematologist Dr Saqib Ansari hosted a press conference under aegis of the Omair Sana Foundation (OSF) to create awareness against deadly Thalassemia disease, demanding the government to ensure implementation of the legislation against the disease.
Following the press conference at Karachi Press Club, the participants also lit candles at the club to highlight the issue. A large number of Thalassemia patients, their parents and members of civil society attended the press conference and the subsequent activities.
Addressing the press conference, the speakers expressed their grave concerns over rising ratio of the disease among children. They demanded the government to insert the column for Thalassemia status in the computerised national identity card and marriage certificate.
The speakers also demanded the government to establish a registry to compile and maintain a record of the Thalassemia affected children in the country.
Dr Ansari briefed the media about the awareness campaign being run by the OSF. The annual campaign is being run from May 1 to 8.
Thalassemia is an inherited disease. The body of the affected person lost the ability to produce healthy blood as a result the patient needs blood transfusion almost all over his or her life.