KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday addressed a huge crowd in Karachi at the start of the PPP’s Awami Long March against the incumbent government.
During his address, Bilawal remarked that neither can Sindh nor Pakistan progress until the PTI-led incumbent government is in power. “The people of Karachi had gathered at the Quaid-e-Azam mausoleum to send the selected, illegitimate and incapable government home,” he added.
“جب تک یہ سلیکٹڈ ہے کوئی صوبہ ترقی نہیں کرسکتا۔
انشاء ﷲ ہم عمران کو بھگائیں گے اور عوامی حکومت بنائیں گے، جس میں سارے صوبوں کو وسائل و حقوق ملیں گے۔”
چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری@BBhuttoZardari#AwamiMarch
2/2 pic.twitter.com/bE5trnF1mn— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) February 27, 2022
The PPP Chairman raising the slogan of “go selected go”, said that Karachi is a city where people came from every province and that the economy of the country ran with their sweat and blood.
“The people have been compelled to send Imran Khan home because this illegitimate and incompetent selected have robbed the people of Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of their rights,” he claimed.
Bilawal emphasised that the entire opposition had decided to send Prime Minister Imran Khan home and that the jiyalas (supporters) of the PPP were at the forefront of this movement. “No power can stop these jiyalas,” he added.
He further said that the Quaid-e-Azam had promised that the country will be a parliamentary democracy but the incumbent government had “attacked our democracy, our economy and human rights”.
“We will complete the mission of Quaid-e-Azam and Shaheed mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and defend the 1973 constitution, the rights of the people and the economy of this country,” he stated.
“Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah is trying to serve the people of the city of Karachi and this province despite the fact that the puppet government of Imran Khan does not provide the due share from NFC to provinces,” Bilawal said.
He maintained that the ruling party has made Pakistan one of the most corrupt countries in the world, adding that Transparency International had declared the PTI government as the “most corrupt government in history”.
“The time has come to bring the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan and send him home. Now with this march, cries will be heard from Bani Gala,” he added.
Prior to Bilawal, PPP leaders Murtaza Wahab, Raza Rabbani, Murad Ali Shah, Nisar Khoro and Qamar Zaman Kaira also addressed the people.
Long march route
The march began from Mazar-e-Quaid on February 27 (today) at 10 am and the protesters will reach Badin where they will spend the night. The protesters will resume their journey on February 28 passing through Hyderabad, Hala and Nawabshah and end its second day at Moro.
Marchers will reach Khairpur city on March 1 and end their third day in Sukkur. The long march will then continue from Sukkur on March 2 from where the protesters will reach Rahim Yar Khan.
On March 3, the PPP convoy from Rahim Yar Khan, passing through Bahawalpur and Lodhran will end its fifth day with a large public gathering in Multan.
Traffic plan
Keeping the commencement of Bilawal’s long march, Karachi traffic police have worked out an alternate traffic plan to maintain the flow of traffic in the city despite the closure of some routes.
The traffic police say that the road leading from Gurumandir to Numaish Chowrangi, the starting point of the march, will be closed for traffic therefore the commuters may use the road leading to Soldier Bazaar from Gurumandir and the to Jail Road flyover using Jamshed Road.
Moreover, the general public will not be allowed to use the route from Society Chowrangi to the starting point. However, they can use the road leading to Jail Chowrangi from Society Chowrangi.
The road leading to New M.A Jinnah Corridor 3 from Regal Chowrangi will also be closed for the general public therefore they may take the road to Shahrah-e-Faisal through Lucky Star from Saddar Dawakhana.
Meanwhile, the flow of traffic coming from University Road will be diverted to Shaheed-e-Millat Road at Jail Chowrangi, while the traffic coming from Jamshed Road will be diverted to Soldier Bazaar.
