Efforts needed to run PPP under Bhutto’s philosophy: Kaira

LAHORE
Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) secretary information Qamar Zaman Kaira Monday said efforts were needed to run the party in accordance with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s philosophy.
“There must be a different PPP under Bilawal Bhutto Zardari now. The party must return to its real constituency, which includes labourers, peasants and workers and for the purpose it is vital for the leadership to run the party according to the philosophy of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto”, said the PPP central leader and former federal minister for information and broadcasting while talking to a group of reporters. Punjab PPP senior leader Usman Salim Malik was also present on the occasion.
Qamar Zaman Kaira on the occasion disclosed that the party leadership was preparing a document which would later be shared to the party loyalists to seek their opinions as to how the PPP could be brought back to its real philosophy.
He said there was no denying the fact that the PPP was undergoing a testing time and it was fight the battle of its survival but at the same, he said the PPP was the only political force which could steer the country out of crisis.
Kaira said there was a huge difference between the Pakistan of 2015 and that of 2008 when the PPP assumed power and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari became the President. He said the PPP launched operation in Swat in 2009 which was ‘far bigger’ than the ongoing Zarb-e-Azb operation.
He said there was a time when our soldiers were not allowed to enter most of the areas in uniform and on economical or diplomatic fronts as well, situation wasn’t ideal at all. He said when PPP formed government in 2008, we were importing wheat and sugar but within one year, we addressed that issue took measure for strengthening our agriculture sector. Similarly, he said at a time of Mumbai attacks, even our trustworthy friend like Saudi Arabia refused to help us and we had to tackle the issue solely.
Kaira said that over Kerry Lugar Bill issue, there was vehement criticism on PPP government but over the Memo Gate Scandal, Mian Nawaz Sharif became a party against us and didn’t stand by a democratic government but despite all those challenges, the Peoples Party completed its term and took all possible measures for strengthening democracy.
Qamar Zaman Kaira said the PPP faced multiple oppositions in its last era but the greatest of them wasn’t a political party or a media group, it was the then Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Ch, who took suo motu notice over different issues.
He said now the entire nation asked what was the status of the suo motu notice taken by court in PPP era over Nandipur issue. “Isn’t there any corruption over Nandipur now, why judiciary is silence over it, the nation wants to know”, said Qamar Zaman Kaira.
Commenting over the recent local government election results, he was there wasn’t any doubt that situation was very critical for PPP in Punjab but at the same moment, measures could be taken to address the problem.
He said the PPP was a name of philosophy and which no other mainstream party, whether it was PML-N or PTI possessed. He said in PML-N, for political gains, we could see hardliner groups, right wing forces like Jamiat Ahle Hadith and at the same time, we could see moderate faces in the form of Ishaq Dar, who is the administrator of some of the known shrines of Sufi Saints.
The PTI, he said, also didn’t preach any philosophy but Imran Khan’s focus was mainly on timely reforms pertaining to Thana culture, judiciary and other sectors.
He said the PPP was purely a political and ideological force which had always rejected terrorism and vociferously criticised extremist elements despite knowing there was a huge risk and its leadership was also directly targeted by terrorists. He said the PPP was the representatives of the masses but unfortunately, it deviated from its actual stance but still, there was a margin to make a comeback.
To a question about Imran Khan, Kaira said the PTI Chairman had wasted many golden opportunities and he must learn from his mistakes rather than repeating it. He said he was advised by political leaders not to demand the resignation of PM and focus mainly on the setting of Judicial Commission headed by the persons of his own choice. However, he said Imran didn’t budge from his stance and eventually had to retreat on almost all the issues he was demanding in and outside the courts.
Over the governance in Punjab and Sindh, Kaira said it was unfortunate in both Punjab and Sindh, bureaucracy had become ‘Partisans’ which served no benefit to the masses. He said whether it was the era of Jam Sadiq Ali or Arbab Ghulam Rahim which were not PPP CMs, the province of Sindh was lacking in governance as compared to that of Punjab. On the other hand, he said the governance in Punjab under Ch Pervaiz Elahi was far better as compared to Shahbaz Sharif who had assumed the office for the third term.
He said in Pervaiz Elahi era, rescue service was launched, hospital emergencies were set up, roads were constructed but unfortunately, the criticism on Shahbaz regime was far lower as it had been done on PPP or its allies.
He said the same Zulfiqar Mirza, who was dubbed as traitor, looter and dacoit while he was in PPP and all of a sudden, he became a darling of media while he turned his coat. Same situation prevailed in the case of Jam Sadiq Ali and that he was under criticism while he was in PPP and when he quit us, he wasn’t criticised anymore by media circles.
Qamar Zaman Kaira is likely to be given an important responsibility in PPP central Punjab organisation in coming days.