Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s train march: From Karachi to Larkana

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s train march has stirred the erstwhile stagnant waters of Pakistan’s political scene. PPP workers feel the young leadership has given the party a new lease of life.

On Wednesday, the march, ‘Caravan-e-Bhutto’ reached Nawabshah.

It is on the way to Larkana where PPP chairman Bilawal, his father and former president and co-chairman of the party Asif Ali Zardari will address the workers on the 44th death anniversary of PPP founder Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who was hanged by military ruler Gen Zia Ul Haq on April 4, 1979.

PPP chairman’s march is being seen by the independent critics and the ruling PTI’s ministers as an attempt to build pressure on the government in the face of an impending arrest of PPP senior leadership including Asif Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in fake bank accounts case and money laundering.

While talking to media persons Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Bilawal is doing a political exercise to rescue his father from arrest by the country’s anti-graft commission, National Accountability Bureau. “This is the first time a train march is launched to protect corruption,” said Fawad Chaudhry while addressing a press conference on Tuesday.

Railway Minister Shaikh Rashid has also criticised Bilawal Bhutto for ‘defending’ corruption in the garb of train march. “Bilawal had an ideal opportunity to distance himself from his father’s corrupt practices and earn respect in the eyes of the masses, but unfortunately by launching the train march he has destroyed that golden chance,” said Shaikh Rashid.

On the other hand, PPP chairman is being warmly received by party workers at each stop the train takes.

The “Caravan-e-Bhutto” which kicked off on Tuesday from Karachi’s Cantt Station is joined by senior PPP leaders including Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, former chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, PPP members of the central working committee, senators and members of parliament.

Addressing party workers from the compartment of his train the PPP chairman said the late former premier and party founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto accepted death but did not take a U-turn.

Addressing the party workers at Kotri Station, the PPP chairman alleged the ruling elite was conspiring through NAB to fix the opposition.

“We have seen Zia’s dictatorship, we are not scared of this government,” he said.

According to senior analyst, Mazhar Abbas, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has taken a political risk by launching the first phase of party’s anti-government march and that too at a time when on the one hand party’s top brass is facing cases of alleged corruption and on the other, opposition still stands divided. Prime Minister Imran Khan will be last man to be perturbed by a show of power from a divided opposition.