Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Sunday blasted the leadership of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for virtually ruining the port city, saying his party will rid Karachi of ‘Mustaqil Qaumi Musibat’, a reference to the MQM.

At a massive gathering in MQM stronghold Liaquatabad, the first by PPP in over four decades, Bilawal said Karachi’s mandate has always been hijacked through gun. “We were against the politics of MQMfounder from day one. How could those who are not loyal to their leaders be loyal to you? They may have parted ways with him [Altaf] but they are still pursuing his politics,” he said.”MQM has failed to take responsibility for the city’s woes. It asks people to vote for them but curses PPP for the mismanagement,” he added.

Bilawal said the PPP preferred to restore peace in Karachi instead of hurling allegations at the political opponents.”We established peace in the city by launching operation against terrorists and militants,” he said, adding that mutilated bodies used to be found on the city roads and people were made to fight with each other on ethnic grounds.

The PPP chief said his party has liberated Karachi from the clutches of London. “We launched indiscriminate operation in Karachi. Now when peace has been restored in the city, everyone is trying to take the credit,” he said.

Lashing out at the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Bilawal once again termed Imran Khan the ‘lost brother of Taliban’. He made it overtly clear that PPP would not accept another ‘Altaf Hussain’ in the guise of Imran Khan.”Imran and the MQM founder, both are a reflection of one another. Karachi was controlled by London in the past and now Imran Khan is planning to run its affairs from Bani Gala,” he said.

The PPP chairman taunted Imran Khan for taking Liaquat Jatoi into the party fold.”Imran has now taken a politician who is the only Sindh chief minister to be dismissed on corruption charges.”

Referring to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Bilawal said that those wishing to turn Karachi into New York should first clean the gutters of Gawal Mandi. “He who speaks of respecting the vote will no longer get respect from the voters,” he added.

The PPP chairman appealed to the people of Karachi to vote for him. He claimed that his party had continued to work for the city’s development even after its mandate was ‘stolen’.

Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah criticized PML-N and the MQM for doing petty politics for personal gains. He said that MQM failed to do anything for the betterment of Karachi during last many years while the PML-N turned towards the city only just ahead of the elections.

The chief minister said that the PPP established peace in the city without shedding the blood of innocents. He said the people of the city will never forgive those who torched Baldia factory.

Taking a jibe at the PTI chief, he said that only the followers of Bhutto can serve the people, not Imran Khan. “Imran Khan is a cricketer, and he should just play cricket.”

PPP Karachi President Saeed Ghani said his party’s leadership was born in Karachi and is purely Karachiite.”We assure the people of Karachi that we will not poll fraudulent votes by occupying schools. Our slogan is ‘peaceful Karachi, sub ka Karachi’,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, April 30^th 2018.