Pakistan: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto slams "dictator" Imran Khan

Addressing the mammoth anti-government Azadi March in Islamabad on Friday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari lambasted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the military establishment. He stated that the opposition would not bow before either the “selector” nor the “dictator”. Reiterating that the real power rests with the people, he mentioned that Khan had to step down. The Azadi March is being spearheaded by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F).  

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Bhutto Zardari said, "We are not ready to bow before any selector or dictator. The hub of power is people and not the state.” He added, "All opposition parties have gathered at one platform to give a clear message to Prime Minister Khan that the time had come for him to step down". 

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Azadi March 

The Azadi March commenced from the Sohrab Goth area of Karachi on October 27 with a huge show of strength by workers of many political parties such as PPP, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the Awami National Party (ANP). It reached its final destination at Peshawar Morr on Friday. On this occasion, Rehman welcomed the leadership and the workers of the opposition parties. Media reports indicate that PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif is also likely to address the protesters later in the day. The aim of this anti-government protest is to force Khan to resign as Prime Minister. However, he has refused to cave-in to this demand.  

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The genesis of the crisis

The opposition’s discontent stems from the 2018 General Election in Pakistan that was allegedly rigged before and on the counting day at the behest of the military establishment. For instance, just a few days before the election, former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz who were leading the campaign for civilian supremacy were sentenced by an Accountability court on the charges of corruption. Furthermore, polling agents of various parties were reportedly thrown out during the counting process, thus casting doubts on the legitimacy of Khan’s Tehreek-I-Insaf party. Since then, Bhutto Zardari and other leaders have called Khan as ‘selected’, hinting at the role of the Pakistani military in rigging the election.  

(With ANI inputs)

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