Forsaken PPP Secretariat Still Attracts Party Supporter

KARACHI: It has become a routine matter for 36-year-old Shazia to travel from Leemon Gabol Goth in Gulshan-e-Iqbal to the PPP central secretariat, hoping that someone there will offer her assistance; however, it seems like every time she makes a visit, she has to start planning for the next one.

Not only her but several people that visit the ruling PPP’s central secretariat hope that they will find someone to help them with their problems, that someone will make a phone call to the authorities concerned for a potable water supply connection or a electricity metre.

“I visited the offices of different provincial ministers but all in vain; then someone told me to visit this secretariat, assuring me that someone here will help me, however, for the past one month, I have been coming here regularly and have yet to find anyone,” said Shazia.

Located just behind Quaid’s Mazar in Jamshed Town, the central PPP secretariat was a place for Jiyalas (hardcore PPP activists) to get help, but since PPP came into power, the secretariat has been deserted. “Most of the people in my area say that it’s my government and they bring different routine work for me, but no one is here to listen to me,” said Surjani Town Unit In-charge Noor Ahmed Roonjho.

The offices of the central leaders and office bearers of PPP, including the office of the PPP chairperson are located in this secretariat. In the past, former Prime Minister and PPP chairperson Shaheed Benazir Bhutto used to sit in the office to listen to the common people’s problems, but now most of the offices are empty. Even the offices of the PPP president of Karachi district east, Sindh PPP President Qaim Ali Shah, PPP Central Secretariat Coordinator Taj Hyder, PPP Karachi division president, People’s Labour Bureau, People’s Student Federation (PSF), Sindh People’s Youth are located here.

“When the party was not in power we found everyone from the top leadership here, but since the party came into the power, the secretariat has been deserted,” said another visitor.

According to the Secretariat in-charge Ameer Ali Erry, around 300 people, not only from different parts of Karachi but also from other districts of the province, visit the secretariat daily. “In the past, the PPP leaders regularly visited the secretariat but now only a few leaders and ministers’ visit and people can be seen waiting outside the secretariat,” he added.

Though, after assuming the office of Sindh chief minister, Qaim Ali Shah directed PPP ministers to keep visiting the party secretariat regularly however after sometime, the practice was stopped. “We don’t need jobs, we just need help in minor work, so we demand the party leadership bound by the minister to regularly visit this secretariat,” said a visitor.

PPP Manifestos and PSF

It is a birthright too often snatched at the point of the gun from the citizens by the very men who are to guard and defend us. This can stop to enable the people and the country to march with confidence and courage, with pride and dignity, with progress and prosperity into the twenty first century.

Pakistan is a great Federation. Its multilingual, multicultural society is its strength. Its sons and daughters are its true assets, the bright face of its future, the promise of all our tomorrows.

The Pakistan Peoples Party is the only Federal, democratic and equal opportunity Party that can guarantee to our great people a great future. The PPP worker is selfless and committed to the values of Faith, freedom, fundamental human rights, family values and a wholesome society based on the rule of law and human dignity.

The founding principle of the Party Islam is our religion places a responsibility on each PPP supporter to reach out in a spirit of accommodation and tolerance to all faiths, to prevent the state from interfering in the religious rights of the citizens (which breeds sectarianism) and to treat people of all faiths with respect enabling them to enjoy religious freedom and equality before the law.

The second principle of the PPP ideology is that democracy is our policy. The PPP commitment to freedom and fundamental rights, including freedom from hunger and want, is written in the blood of its martyrs and in the red marks of lashes on the back of its workers. It is written in the suffering and sacrifice of its leaders the greatest of whom was Quaid e Awam. He faced the gallows refusing to bow before tyranny defending the human rights of our citizens to the last of his breath.