LALAMUSA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former Punjab finance minister Chaudhry Tanveer Ashraf Kaira expressed his confidence on Sunday that the party’s sacrifices would yield results and the next federal government would be formed by the party, led by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the prime minister.
While addressing a seminar at Pagganwala House in connection with PPP’s 58th Foundation Day, he said the party remains the backbone of democracy in the country. He said the PPP is not merely a political organisation but a political training academy that has provided awareness and practical experience to thousands of workers,
many of whom now hold key positions across various political parties.
Kaira said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto resigned from the cabinet of Ayub Khan after realising there was no hope of improving the condition of the downtrodden people. He said the PPP was founded to safeguard people’s rights, ensure their welfare and strengthen democracy. He noted that even though it is difficult for four members of a household to agree on one opinion, Bhutto united all political forces and gave the nation unanimously approved Constitution. “PPP is the guarantor of democracy,” he stressed.
He said Zulfikar Ali Bhutto laid the foundation for making Pakistan a nuclear power, enabling the country to stand with dignity before India. He added that Benazir Bhutto equipped Pakistan with modern missile technology, making the country’s defence stronger. He said the PPP had always prioritised public welfare over political gain, and its slogan of “Roti, Kapra aur Makan” remains relevant even today — so much so that New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani adopted a similar slogan in his election campaign.
Kaira said the struggle of Benazir Bhutto has no parallel in history. “PPP was alive because of its workers in the past, is alive today, and will continue to live in the future,” he remarked.
Speaking about the upcoming local government elections, he said the PPP will contest with full force. Kaira stressed that the PPP is the only political party where even an ordinary worker feels empowered when the party is in power, as it truly represents worker-friendly politics.
Separately, PPP Central Secretary Information Nadeem Afzal Chan stated that just as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was facing political challenges today, the PPP endured similar attempts to eliminate it over the past fifty years.
He expressed these views while addressing participants in the inaugural ceremony of a water filtration plant in Phularwan on Saturday evening. Chan said the public had now clearly seen how political parties were weakened or dismantled. He added that the PPP would celebrate its Foundation Day in a grand manner. “The PPP is the party of the poor, labourers, farmers, government employees and the middle class. This party was created for the underprivileged people of Pakistan,” he said.
He stated that local government elections were approaching and claimed that the ruling party would suffer a humiliating defeat — though he doubted the government would actually hold these elections. Chan said every child born in the country already carried the burden of debt owed to the IMF and other global institutions. He noted that the IMF’s recent letter to the government about corruption was not incorrect. “This corruption is eating up our country, our province, and our region,” he added.
The PPP leader said he had lost three elections but personal ambition was never his motivation, as he would continue his struggle against oppression. He said he had invited the Punjab education minister to visit his constituency to witness the poor condition of local educational institutions, but the minister did not accept the challenge despite earlier agreeing.
Chan said he had always served the people of his constituency whenever given the opportunity. He announced that the PPP was now constructing a major hospital worth billions of rupees in Bhalwal, calling it a gift from Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to the people of Bhalwal, Sargodha and Mandi Bahauddin districts. The hospital, which will offer kidney-related treatment, is expected to become operational within three months. Later, he also inaugurated the water filtration plant.
