KARACHI: Just a few weeks after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — comprising 11 Opposition parties — held a massive rally on October 18 in Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah, the Pak Sarzameen Party has planned a power show at the same venue.
Speaking a day after the PDM rally, PSP Chairperson Mustafa Kamal had said: “We will alone demonstrate the people’s power on November 8 at the same venue where the PDM’s 11 parties collectively held their public meeting.”
The PSP’s top leaders were confident that their party would make history by holding a “mammoth” power show today with no government resources being utilised.
At Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah, a barren ground in the shadow of the Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum, preparations for the event have been completed. The surroundings of the Quaid’s Mazaar and other areas were also decorated with the PSP’s flags and banners.
“The historic rally will tell the world the very truth that Karachi is not only the leader of Pakistan’s economy but also its politics,” Kamal said during a visit to the venue on Saturday to oversee the event arrangement.
In all, “11 political parties under the PDM’s banner made an unsuccessful attempt to hold a rally at the Bagh-e-Jinnah, even after spending the taxpayers’ money to bring people over from across the province,” he said.
“During their rally, not a single leader bothered to talk about the miseries of the residents of the metropolis and all of them had sought to gain some vested political benefits.”
The PSP leader vowed to “reveal” what the real issues of Pakistan and Karachi are and “expose the lies” of the PDM leaders. “Today is the day of accountability of those responsible for the destruction of Karachi and Sindh,” he said.
Speaking of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Rs1.1-trillion Karachi package announced after heavy rains lashed the metropolis, Kamal said it is “in a true sense, just an eyewash, and a lollypop for the Karachiites”.
“The monetary package is still far from known. We will stop this game, now and forever,” he said, adding that the city did not need charity; the truth was that Karachi provided fiscal stimulus to the entire country.
“Karachi gives three thousand billions to the national kitty.”
“We will not bring anyone at government expenses; people will come themselves,” Kamal said, of the turnout at the PSP rally.
The PSP chief continued: “No one is running the affairs of Pakistan. The country is running on auto (mode) and political point scoring is being done at the expense of poor masses,” he said.
“The ruling PTI and the opposition are at loggerheads to prolong the government and gain political benefits, respectively, utterly disappointing the people.”
Kamal said the PSP had “neither taken a U-turn nor was there any contradiction” in its leaders’ words and deeds.