LAHORE - Joining hands against the PML-N government, the opposition parties have announced a demonstration in the Punjab capital to show solidarity with PPP-governed-Sindh over the killings, which they said came because of unprecedented loadshedding.
Heatwave in Sindh capital claimed more than 1000 lives, according to the government statements. But, the Sindh government and people blamed the deaths on the federal government for doing of discriminatory distribution of power in harsh weather.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and Majlis-e-Wahadatul Muslimeen (MWM) will stage a demonstration against the loadshedding in front of Lahore Press Club today (Friday).
PAT central president Dr Raheeq Abbasi and PTI Punjab organiser, Ch Sarwar confirmed the protest programme. Sarwar said that the PTI would stage demonstrations across the province after Friday prayers.
Dr Raheeq said that he contacted Sarwar, PPP Manzoor Wattoo of PPP, Hamid Raza of Sunni Ittehad Council and Nasir Sherazi of Majlis-e-Wahadatul Muslimeen over the plan and they agreed to stage the joint protest today (Friday) outside the Lahore Press Club.
Opposition leaders also told this scribe that the joint movement against the excessive loadshedding would spread across the country. In KP, the ruling PTI will took to the streets. People in urban and rural parts of Sindh province have already taken to streets against the loadshedding and staged violent protests in some parts of the province. Political pundits hinted at the possibilities of a larger joint opposition movement.
“PML-Q of Chaudhrys of Gujrat, PML-Functional of Pir of Pagaro along with their likeminded groups have already stepped up efforts to unify the Muslim Leagues against the ruling PML-N. PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, might re-launch his ‘revolutionary’ struggle on his return scheduled for June 29,” they opined.
PAT chief, Dr Tahirul Qadri in the meanwhile addressing the party’s central working committee via video-link directed the party leaders and workers to organise massive protest demonstrations against the loadshedding.
He asked the government what actions it had taken to end loadshedding in the past several months. He remarked that people were dying in Karachi due to excessive loadshedding and the rulers were concentrating on the Orange Train System.
Dr Qadri observed that people were not dying due to natural calamity but because of poor governance.