While saying adieu to the politics of reconciliation once and for all, the Pakistan Peoples' Party chairman on Saturday lambasted the government for its anti-farmer and anti-labourer policies. In a speech to an impressive gathering of party workers after a week-long stay in Lahore, which also drew Punjab party bigwigs such as Manzoor Wattoo, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari launched an attack on the government.
"There will be no compromise with those who are anti-farmers and are hesitating in talking about Kashmir," he said. "Lahore is the city of democrats and of Data Ali Hajveri but it has been handed over to the 'sympathisers of terrorists'. The imposition of such rulers on the Punjab is a punishment to dwellers of the land of Bulleh Shah [in reference to the Punjabi humanist and philosopher]."
He said, "It is unfortunate that the army was challenging the coward enemy on the border, on the one hand, and fighting against terrorists on the other, but the rulers are carrying out anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-labourer policies. They have snatched the basic rights from them."
His remarks led to the public shouting of 'Go Nawaz go'.
Hinting at the plight of farmers, he said they were facing losses on cash crops today, which meant that the rulers had no right to rule if they could never ensure profit for them. "You are showing us the metro bus when people are dying of hunger," he said. "Do not make us fool any more. I want to make it clear to you that Bilawal is with the farmers of the Punjab," he shouted.
He also pointed to the opposing politics of the ruling party and his party, saying the late Benazir Bhutto had made it clear that she would throw potatoes into the ocean but she would never compromise on the profit of farmers. She was the leader of the people." He went on, "Farmers are forced to throw their potatoes to streets because the Punjab chief minister is neither a 'khadim' nor an 'aala'. The PPP government took the wheat prices from Rs 625 per maund to Rs 1200 per maund, increased the cotton prices to Rs 4000 per maund, rice to Rs 2600 per maund. The urea and pesticides prices are out of reach of farmers and the power tariff has increased to Rs 18 per unit from Rs 8 per unit on tube-wells. The government is anti-farmers but pro-industrialists. The ruling party is plundering the hard work of these farmers. So much so, they have forced traders to go for shutter-down strikes."
He then warned the government that a country could never be defined by motorways and metro buses but by the prosperity of its people. "The wrong polices of the government have widened the gap between the poor and the rich." He also criticised the chief minister for his "false" promises on power shortfalls. "You had asked people to change your name if you failed to overcome the power crisis ... Now tell me: what should I call you?" he posed a question.
He said the government had released Rs 480 billion without audit to their friends and relatives owning Independent Power Plants. While pointing out the poor performance of the government on the Nandipur power project, he said, "Where is the National Accountability Bureau?" He criticised the government for the absence of merit and good governance. "The government is planning to privatise both the Pakistan International Airlines and the Pakistan Steel Mills to their favourite ones ... The operation Zarb-e-Azb is actually started seven years ago when the Pakistan People's Party government carried out the Swat Operation, and not now. The government is telling us that we are all on the same page. I want to remind them actually you are on my page. I had challenged the terrorists when you were supporting negotiations with them."
He said the government was waiting for a tragedy like the Pakistan Army School where the future was murdered ruthlessly by terrorists and that his party had extended support to the army. "Martyrs of the army are the martyrs of the Pakistan People's Party," he added.
He criticised the government for clubbing his party with terror simply to victimise its members. He said Zardari had sought justice for the arrested party members. "I am also asking for justice," he said and urged the government to ensure regular hearing of the reference on the murder of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He also called for investigations into the Asghar Khan case.
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