PTI, PPP organise rival marches in Sindh

Karachi: Two long marches took place simultaneously in Sindh in opposite directions. The two main rival political parties of Pakistan are behind the marches in the province aimed at mobilising the masses.

The two major political activities in Sindh were launched with a difference of just one day from each other. The first long march was that of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the ruling party of Pakistan. The PTI’s long march started from Ghotki town of Sindh on February 26 for Karachi.

Titled as “Haqooq-e-Sindh March” (march for the rights of the people of Sindh), the PTI’s procession was led by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his capacity as PTI’s Vice-Chairman. En route to Karachi, the PTI’s long march will be joined by Federal Planning and Development Minister, Asad Umar, who is also Secretary-General of PTI. The PTI’s procession after the journey of two days reached Jacobabad and is scheduled to culminate its journey in Karachi on March 6.

The second long march is of Pakistan People’s Party, which has ruled Sindh province since 2008. It started from Karachi on Sunday for Islamabad. The PPP’s long march against PTI’s federal government is scheduled to enter Punjab after crossing Sindh on March 3.

The PPP’s road caravan is scheduled to end its journey in Islamabad on March 8. PPP’s Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, is leading the march. Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, and other main leaders of the PPP accompanied him during the journey. The Bilawal-led march reached Badin on Sunday night after starting its journey in Karachi.

Foreign Minister Qureshi said he had reached Sindh to make accountable the ruling political party of the province, the PPP, for its ‘sheer bad governance’ for the past 14 years causing immense hardships to the Sindhi people.

Bilawal said he had started the PPP’s long march to Islamabad to hold PTI’s federal government accountable for skyrocketing inflation, unprecedented hike in the prices of essential products including petrol, massive energy shortfall, and unemployment.