EDITORIAL: As the PPP’s ‘Awami March’ heads towards Islamabad, ostensibly, to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, the PTI has responded with its own ‘Haqooq-e-Sindh March’ from Ghotki to Karachi, attracting large crowds along the way. Street demonstrations or sit-ins, of course, do not bring down governments in this country unless backed by extra-constitutional forces. Both parties seem to be gearing for the fast approaching national elections. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s campaign is believed to be aimed only at reviving the political fortunes of his party, especially in the largest province of Punjab, and make it relevant to people’s concerns.
The march led by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi along with federal Minister Ali Zaidi, PM’s Adviser on Sindh Affairs Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Shaikh and some others met with resistance from PPP activists between Sanghar and Mirpurkhas, apparently because of the warm public welcome they received, forcing the march to change its route. The party leaders have been highlighting various governance issues related to rural Sindh, prompting PPP Chairman to accuse the Centre of neglecting Sindh, such as when swarms of locust attacked parts of Sindh. As per the 18th Amendment, though, all such matters fall within the purview of provincial governments. The tit-for-tat for exchanges has continued between the two sides. While on Wednesday, the PPP Chairman said “selected Imran Khan” had presented three budgets and made the people’s life miserable, addressing a rally in Hyderabad, Qureshi averred that federal government had released Rs8.9 trillion to Sindh over the past 14 years (during PPP’s rule), only Imran Khan government had handed out Rs1000 billion for the development of the province, and that almost half of the development budget, 44 percent to be exact, according to him, went into corruption. Only election time will tell what the people in interior Sindh stronghold of PPP think of what they hear from either side.
Meanwhile, the PDM along with PPP claim that they have the numbers to move no-confidence motion against the PM; they are not so sure, however. PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman told journalists on Wednesday that the final decision about submitting no-confidence motion against the government or requisitioning session of Parliament would be made in the next two to three days. If that was vague enough, he said the opposition parties had yet to decide whether to bring the no-trust motion against National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser or Prime Minister Imran Khan. If all the activity is about getting rid of the PM why go for the Speaker first?
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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