Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday heavily criticised rival Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for what he termed their plans to bring back “politics of ethnicity” in Karachi.

Addressing party workers and supporters in Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that MQM did not serve the city in last 30 years and are now trying to win back the vote by reviving politics of ethnicity.

The PPP Chairman paid tribute to party’s May 12, 2007 martyrs and blamed MQM and its “patron-dictator” General (retd) Musharraf for the carnage and killing of party workers in the city.  Bilawal added that on May 12, the people were butchered and dictator of that time were laughing and declaring it that is the power of people.

“It was on May 12, when PPP workers were going towards airport to welcome then Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry when they were surrounded by mercilessly killed by Musharraf and his cronies…they didn’t let us lift the bodies of our workers,” Bilawal said while comparing the May 12 carnage to Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Bilawal blamed that main character behind the May 12 massacre was Wasim Akhtar and now he is the Mayor of Karachi as he was the home minister of that time and he allowed the MQM armed workers to attack the innocent people.

Bilawal said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was a new MQM and the people of Karachi won’t tolerate another Altaf Hussain in the form of Imran Khan.

“PTI tried to create a law and order situation in Karachi, but we foiled their attempt by allowing them to hold rally at Hakim Saeed Ground, but they ran away,” he said.

Bilawal claimed that the PTI leaders opened fire on the PPP workers and injured the party workers at the Hakeem Saeed ground a few days back.

"PTI workers attacked our workers and injured over 20 of them - despite that I directed my party to not hold the rally at the Hakim Saeed ground and hold today's rally elsewhere I did this in the interest of the peace of Karachi," Bilawal said.

The behavior of PTI showed that it is not different from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) as both the different sides of the same coins, Bilawal claimed.

He said that he would have held his jalsa at Tanki Ground in Liaquatabad a long time ago if he had known that this wound unite MQM’s factions. “But they failed to fill the Tanki Ground and I cannot be blamed  for this,” he said. "I want to build a university in every district of Karachi," Bilawal, said, adding that he was facing hurdles form MQM people.

“Neither MQM people themselves do any work nor do they allow others to work for the city,” he said. He lamented that MQM hadn't done anything to address Karachi's water and sewerage problems despite enjoying absolute power during Musharraf's rule.

"We contracted the collection of solid waste management out to a Chinese company and the MQM started creating problems for the vehicles hampering our good efforts." "They say we are from interior Sindh and want to rule Karachi. I want to tell them I was born in Karachi, my family lived in Karachi," he said.

Bilawal said that quota system was first introduced by slain prime minister Liaqat Ali Khan in 1948. He said that MQM had been misguiding people of Karachi by claiming that PPP was behind the quota system.

He added that MQM is responsible for the poor condition of Karachi as they only use the Mahajir card for their benefits and it continuously disrupting the developmental works due to their political interests.

He lamented that the massacre of PPP workers and citizens of Karachi was “organized sadly by the same party which claims to represent the city”.

Bilawal said that people of Karachi are told that PPP is their enemy because it introduced the quota system but in fact, it was first notified by Pakistan’s first premier Liaquat Ali Khan in 1948 and last notification was issued by Dictator General Yahya on January 16, 1971.

“These elements are misguiding the masses. PPP and Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto made no new legislation about quota system. They have no truth to stand on,” said the PPP chairman.

Responding to MQM’s criticism after this April 29 rally in Liaquatabad, Bilawal maintained the he would have entered Liaquatabad earlier if he knew it will unite the “many factions of MQM”.

He said that his party is doing politics of the federation and criticized some parties for dividing the people on the name ethnicity for their own benefits.

He said that many projects could not complete in Karachi due to lack of funds from the federal government.  "PML-N government thinks it only rules Islamabad." "I am fully aware of the issues of Karachi and I am doing everything to address them," he said.

"We will revive Karachi's industry, and will create opportunities for new jobs for the people of the city -- after the coming election we will also set up a desalination plant for Karachi."

He said that Imran Khan had failed to build a single hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during his five years. "Imran Khan has made two Khyber Pakhtunkhwas in the name of naya Khyber Pakhtunkhwa."