Politics won’t be allowed on Chinese investment: Zardari

KARACHI: The Co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari, on Sunday said that the PPP would not allow the Chinese investment coming under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects to become a victim of political point-scoring.He expressed these views while addressing a large PPP public rally here at the Kakri Ground in Lyari on Sunday evening.
Zardari said that he had gathered the leaders of all the political parties concerned around a table in Islamabad and unanimously resolved that the political leadership would not allow the derailment of investment and development schemes being proposed by China. He said the leadership of all the political parties had resolved that there would be no politics or opposition on the subject of Chinese investment coming to Pakistan.
He, however, held out the assurance that all the fears and reservations of the Pashtun and Baloch communities on the proposed new development projects sponsored by China would be allayed and both the communities should not be unduly fearful of the new schemes. He said the Pashtun and Baloch communities should realise that new development projects would not cause harm to them but would rather be beneficial for them. He said that the two ethnic communities should not be worried that they would turn into minorities in their own native areas due to the implementation of the new development projects. Such reservations of theaddressed in accordance with the Constitution.
The former president said that people should realise that assistance being provided by China would secure future of coming generations in the country. He said that during his tenure in the presidency, he had visited China on ten occasions to seek expansion of friendly relations between the two countries as it was ensured for the first time that there would not be just military ties between China and Pakistan but there would also be commercial relations between the two countries.
He said that during his time in presidency he had toured several other countries for securing assistance for Pakistan but ultimately it was realised that it was China only, which was always willing to help out the country in its time of need. Zardari wished that country should do progress under the philosophies of Bhuttoism and Mao Zedong.
Zardari said that PPP had never in mind to severe the country just in the party’s five-year tenure in power but PPP had been following the mission of serving the country on life-time basis.
He said the PPP despite facing numerous problems in the country would always strive for ensuring provision of rights to the oppressed people and working class.He maintained that he has no business or trade relations with India and warned India against committing further aggression against his Kashmiri brethren.
“India should better know if the Muslims in India get united with Muslims in Kashmiri, they will turn out to be in far greater number to forcefully push the cause of Kashmiri,” he said.The former president announced that the PPP would launch campaign for the next general elections in the country, which would be due after two and a half-years as the present government was near completing half of its five-year constitutional term. For campaigning for the next general elections, he announced to hold public meetings of the party, similar to the present one in rest of the provinces up to Gilgit-Baltistan.
Zardari also announced on the occasion that he had been holding leadership of the party while considering it a trust of the follower till the time his two children Bilawal Bhutto and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari would come back to lead the PPP.
The former president said that it had been highlighted time and again that the PPP had been fast losing its popularity in provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan but the quarters concerned should keep in mind the problems being faced by the party and also certain influential forces working against the PPP.
He said the party had faced similar situation earlier when former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had been in opposition with just 14 seats in Parliament but later she had overcome that dismal state as PPP had once again come into power after elections. He directed Sindh chief minister and other relevant quarters of his party to bring forth new and young leadership in the party, which would be capable enough to tackle political challenges persisting in the country. He said the Sindh CM should keep his focus on governance matters of the province while young leadership would be brought in to run the party.
The former president said that all ethnic and religious communities in the country be they Pashtuns, Sindhi, Balochi, and Hindus were present in PPP so the party would fully safeguard rights of all these communities. He said the PPP knew well the hardships being faced by labourers and farmers in the country as it would strive for resolving them.
The PPP co-chairman also criticised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan saying that “Captain sahib” had been agitating against rigging against his party in only one general elections but it was PPP which had endured similar situation of stealing of polls in almost every general elections but the party had emerged alive and was prospering after every occasion of experiencing rigging in polls.
He also criticised the private TV news channels that the newly emerged television industry in the country had been unduly indulged in doing negative propaganda as those running this industry should be fearful of God, stop doing such propaganda, which would cause division among the nation but instead promote such views, which would be helpful in progress of the nation.
The party’s co-chairman while declaring that Lyari had been and would remain bastion of the party, announced Rs one billion development package for the people of Lyari. He also announced to establish Bilawal Bhutto Engineering College in Lyari and announced that all the daily-wage workers of the party belonging to Lyari and working with municipal institutions would be regularised. Zardari also declared to build low-cost housing scheme in the impoverished locality under which flats would be built for people of Lyari.
Zardari expressed the resolve that PPP government would do development work and make efforts for restoring peace in Lyari so that past glory of the historical locality could be fully revived as at one time there had been taking place trading and commercial activities in Lyari in full swing with complete peace in the area while there had troubles in rest of Karachi. He said the past dictatorial regimes had caused unrest and disturbed peace in Karachi.
Also addressing on the occasion, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said the PPP’s government in the province had spent around Rs3.85 billion for development and progress of Lyari.