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

KARACHI: The Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party on Monday asked the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan to break away from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government in the Centre and join the Sindh government, saying Sindh and Karachi could only get their share of development if Imran’s government collapses.

The PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto, made the stunning offer to the opposition political party in the province on Monday, while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the four mega development projects here in Korangi, built by PPP’s Sindh government.

A very charged Bilawal told the MQM: “You can stop this injustice being done with Karachi and Pakistan by breaking your alliance with the PTI and toppling Imran Khan’s government to save Karachi and we will fully support you. For the sake of Karachi, for the sake of people of Karachi, we are ready to offer to the MQM in Sindh, as many ministries as they have in the Centre today.

While extending his offer, the PPP chairman repeatedly said “Topple Imran’s government” as he tried to persuade the MQM to break its alliance with the PTI in the Centre. Bilawal made the unexpected offer while the Mayor of Karachi Waseem Akhtar, who belongs to the MQM Pakistan, was attending the inaugural ceremony along with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and provincial Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

In the speech, the PPP chairman mentioned that he was offering a renewed political alliance as coalition partners of the Sindh government to the party that had in the past worked with the People's Party as allies. “Send Imran packing and get the share for Karachi and this province and get the much-needed gas. Together, we could ensure the development of the province,” reiterated the PPP chairman.

He said this decision “has to be taken by all the facilitators and allies of this government, if not today then tomorrow, for saving Pakistan and for that the new Pakistan has to be eliminated."

Bilawal said the people of Karachi know that Prime Minister Imran Khan has hoodwinked them as all his (PM’s) promises and slogans have eventually turned out to be hoax. He said the upcoming year 2020 would be the year of general election as this time the people of Karachi would take a U-turn on their decision to vote for the PTI in the last elections, and they would now support the PPP owing to the hard work of People's Party for development of Karachi. The chairman said that Karachi was facing several issues and they wanted to get them resolved. He said sheer injustice was done to Sindh first in the population census and then by denying its fiscal share in the NFC (National Finance Commission) award.

Bilawal said the Sindh government is doing a lot to build Karachi's infrastructure. He said that PPP's Sindh government would utilize the massive potential of Karachi by public-private partnerships, for building the city's civic infrastructure. He said the Sindh government in partnership with industrialists and businessmen of Karachi could serve the people of the city in the best-possible manner. He said the Sindh government has successfully completed the Thar Coal project under the public-private partnership mode, which has been internationally recognized.

The PPP chairman also announced to resist the current natural gas allocation policy of the federal government, saying it is usurping the rights of Sindh. He said the federal government must withdraw its current anti-federation gas policy as this policy would weaken the Federation. Bilawal demanded the federal government to immediately dismiss the two federal ministers who are strongly advocating the current anti-Federation gas policy. “If they are not dismissed, then we will be constrained to think that the federal government supports this anti-Federation gas policy,” he said.

The PPP chairman said the construction of bridges, roads, buildings were important for Karachi but the most important aspect is that people of Karachi should get their fundamental rights. He said whether it is federal, provincial, or the local government concerned to the city, their prime responsibility should be to get fundamental rights for the people of Karachi. Bilawal strongly advised the Karachi mayor to stop any anti-encroachment operation being carried out anywhere in the city as people should not be rendered homeless without a shelter in this peak winter season.

Bilawal Bhutto said the PPP’s Sindh government is the only government serving the people of the city despite hardships. He also condemned the federal government's decision to remove the names of over 800,000 poor people as the beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). He said the government should be ashamed for depriving poor women from earning Rs1,000 every month under the BISP during the worst economic crisis. The PPP chairman said that he would ask the Sindh government to make the provincial Law Department challenge this decision in the court to safeguard the beneficiaries of BISP in the province.