Will PTI be able to gain seats in Interior Sindh?

News Analysis |

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has declared Pakistan People Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari as the ‘biggest disease of Sindh’ and told the people of interior Sindh that soon, Zardari will also ask why he has been removed. During his visit to interior Sindh, Khan kicked off 48-hours membership drive from Pakistan People Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s hometown-Nawabshah.

The maverick leader was accompanied by party’s bigwigs including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Dr. Arif Alvi, Aleem Adil Sheikh and Dr. Amir Liaquat Hussain. He addressed the large number of supporters at membership camps, installed at different locations in Nawabshah.

Khan has been absent from Sindh for long periods, which makes it difficult to pave the way for PTI in a quick span of time with very few electable given the state of affairs in interior Sindh.

Later he went to Sanghar, Khipro, where a huge crowd came to welcome the PTI leader. Khan is trying to make inroads in interior Sindh. While addressing the workers at Press Club Chowk, making reference to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP, the PTI leader said, Pakistan is plagued by two illnesses, one of them is in Punjab and the other is in Sindh.     

He accused Zardari of shifting the resources of Sindh abroad, which could have been used for the development of people of Sindh. He declared that ‘Zardari is Captain Safdar of the Bhutto family’ and said that he would contest elections from Zardari’s hometown. 

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Imran ridiculed Nawaz and said that disease in Punjab is more commonly known as ‘mujhe kyun nikala’. Imran suggested that after Nawaz, Zardari will use the same mantra of ‘mujheykKyon nikala’.  He claimed that Zardari will be also behind bars soon for his alleged embezzlement, corruption, and dishonesty. The people of Sindh have become slaves of Zardari, he asserted. Imran Khan criticized PPP’s agricultural policy. He claimed that PPP has destroyed the agricultural sector of the province and poverty is on the rise.

Khan’s rhetoric is totally opposite to PPP’s claims. When PPP held a gathering in Qila Kohna Qasim Bagh Stadium in Multan in December, it gave the agricultural policy for Punjab which apparently will be the replication of Sindh. According to which it will abolish the GST on agriculture, input cost control mechanism will be introduced, and the government will provide support prices for corps before harvest along with the equal distribution of irrigation water. One wonders why one cannot see such initiatives to be taken in Sindh.

While addressing the workers at Press Club Chowk, making reference to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP, the PTI leader said, Pakistan is plagued by two illnesses, one of them is in Punjab and the other is in Sindh.     

At the same time, Imran should also shed light on the contribution of PTI towards the agricultural sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa? Bilawal in a number of his recent rallies talks about abolishing the disparity between rich and poor in Punjab. Was he able to do so in Sindh? And why does Khan lash out at Sindh over poverty, did KP did enough to eradicate poverty in the province?

Political parties can improve the plight of small farmers by adopting policies which do not only favor the capitalists and wealthy landlords. Political point scoring does no service to society. However, Imran carries some credence, when he holds Sindhi responsible for looting money and grabbing land [from villagers to build housing schemes].  People are deprived of their rudimentary requirements and injustice is widespread and police are used for political victimization. 

Read more: Imran terms Zardari an illness that has plagued Sindh

Khan is looking to bring change in interior Sindh through PTI’s justice movement. Breaking a status quo is not easy. PPP has a huge number of electable in the province, where people are largely uneducated and despite being deprived of basic necessities, they have blind allegiances with PPP and the local leaders.

PTI has relatively no presence in interior Sindh. Party lacks the basic infrastructure and workers at the ground root level. Khan has been absent from Sindh for long periods, which makes it difficult to pave the way for PTI in a quick span of time with very few electable given the state of affairs in interior Sindh.