Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani on Sunday lamented the targeting and killing of people in Karachi in the past due to their linguistic and communal affiliations.
Ghani made these remarks during a reception at a banquet hall marking the inclusion of the entire Pashtoon Qaumi Movement (PQM), led by its Chairman Dawood Jan, into the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
He welcomed the PQM office-bearers to the PPP, noting that the movement had previously gained strength in Sindh and other provinces while addressing the issues faced by the Pakhtun community.
Describing Karachi as a “mini Pakistan”, he highlighted the city’s diverse representation, with people from various religions, sects, ethnicities and linguistic backgrounds living here to support their families and secure a better future for their children.
He emphasised the need for unity among all communities in Karachi to foster progress and development in the city as well as across the country.
He pointed out that all the ethnic groups in Karachi are facing challenges, and stressed that progress and development are essential for overcoming these issues. “It’s impossible to achieve Karachi’s progress until we all show unity.”
He stressed that differences of opinion between people and communities should have an ideological basis rather than these differences stemming from personal biases based on ethnicity.
He lamented that Karachi had been suffering from divisive politics for three or four decades, resulting in the deaths of watchmen, labourers, rickshaw drivers and cobblers due to their Pakhtun identity. He pointed out that anti-peace elements had targeted these people without any personal grievances.
He asserted that unabated ethnic violence in Karachi would hinder the city’s, the province’s and the country’s development. However, he expressed relief that the politics of hatred had ended in Karachi, allowing people to engage in political activities without fear.
Ghani affirmed that the PPP is well-equipped to promote unity and development in the city. He reiterated that since its inception, the PPP has consistently advocated for the growth of marginalised groups, including the poor, labourers and farmers.
He also highlighted PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s significant political achievement of fostering consensus among all the political parties concerned to establish a new constitutional court in the country.
He noted that this objective was part of the PPP’s election manifesto, and had also been included in the Charter of Democracy signed with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in 2006.
He said the forming of the new constitutional court is the fulfilment of the PPP’s manifesto as well as the continuation of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s vision.
Ghani asserted that no other political party in the country has a leader capable of rivalling Bilawal’s political vision and growing popularity. He emphasised that the PPP consistently nominates candidates from all ethnic backgrounds for representation in the Senate, assemblies and LG bodies.
The minister claimed that no other political party in the country has such strength and broad-mindedness to accommodate people from all ethnicities in its ranks.
In response to a media inquiry, he said that a controversial ruling had awarded the reserved seats in the assemblies to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He noted that several legal experts not affiliated with the PPP had also termed the judgment controversial.
He acknowledged the differences of opinion between the parliament and the judiciary on this matter, asserting that the parliament should not be stripped of its powers.