Bilawal offers MQM-P provincial ministries ‘if it helps topple PTI govt’

KARACHI: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Monday urged the MQM-P to quit the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) coalition government and join the Sindh government, "for Karachi's sake".

The PPP leader made the offer while delivering a speech at the inauguration ceremony of multiple development projects in Karachi. In his speech, Bilawal blamed the federal government for depriving Sindh of its due rights.

“We are ready to give you the same number of ministries in Sindh,” Bilawal said, addressing the MQM. He said, "The PPP will support the toppling of PTI rule". “The economic situation is dangerous and the PTI government is making policies that go against the [interests of] poverty-stricken people,” he said.

He lambasted the PTI over the removal of over 800,000 names from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), terming it a “cruel” step.

It is pertinent to mention here that Dr Sania Nishtar had recently struck off the names from the list of BISP beneficiaries after finding patterns of lifestyle and expenditure that did not fit the profile of deserving beneficiaries.

Talking about Karachi, Bilawal said that the city "is very important” and acknowledged that, “we need to give basic rights to the Karachiites”. He also blamed the PTI for the ongoing gas crisis in Sindh and accused it of "stealing gas". "The gas policy of the government is unconstitutional. Sindh’s right is being taken away,” he said. Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, who was present at the event, said that it was the party that would decide on Bilawal's offer.

“MQM-P has never indulged in the politics of ministries and our support for PTI is based on Karachi's issues,” Akhtar said. “However, we [the MQM and PPP] can sit together for the resolution of Karachi's problems.” Akhtar did, however, express his dismay at the federal government's performance in Sindh. He said that the city's problems were discussed with senior PTI leader Jahangir Tareen but the party did not take responsibility.