By Asim Shehzad
LAHORE: The People’s Party is fighting the battle of democratic socialism today. The Pakistan People’s Party will have to return to its original manifesto, instead of more provinces, local governments with autonomy should be established.
These views were expressed by the speakers while addressing a seminar on the 23rd death anniversary of the father of socialism Sheikh Rashid organized by the People’s Study Circle Committee Central Punjab, which was presided over by senior journalist Hussain Naqi, while the special guest in charge of the People’s Labor Bureau and member of the CEC Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed. The duties of the organization were performed by Dr. Zarar Yousaf. The seminar was attended by Senior Vice President Rana Farooq Saeed, Shahzad Saeed Cheema, Raza Ashfaq, Chaudhry Akhtar Chokar, Tariq Khurshid, Chaudhry Javed Akhtar, Dr. Khalid Javed Jan, Abid Saqi, actors Ghulam Mohiuddin, Barrister Aamir and Khalid Baloch, Sardar Asif Ali, Aamir Naseer Butt, Bushri Manzoor Maneka, Shahida Jabeen, Imran Athwal, Arif Khan, Naseer Ahmed, Tahir Ghalib attended the ceremony, while messages from former provincial health minister Badr Din Chaudhry, Farrukh Sohail Goindi, and Bashir Chand were also delivered at the seminar.
Addressing the seminar, Chaudhry Manzoor said that Modi is India’s Zia-ul-Haq. The path to revolution passes through the PPP. Pakistan is currently ranked first among the countries affected by climate change. Those who destroyed climate change should bear the consequences. He further said that the PPP is still the party of the country’s workers, youth, farmers, and laborers, but the rulers want to erase every memory of Bhutto. He said that the government has not been able to provide relief to the flood victims after rescuing them. The price of wheat has reached Rs. 3,500. Chaudhry Manzoor said that the biggest flood in history has hit Punjab. Chaudhry Manzoor said that during Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s visit to Kasur, the administration did not want to introduce him to the farmers. Kasur farmers demanded that Bilawal Bhutto provide free fertilizer and Seed, money for building houses and electricity bills should be waived.
I pay tribute to Sheikh Rashid for his theory. Senior journalist Hussain Naqi said that why is it that the people are called the source of power but they are not? Why is it that today the decision-making establishment makes decisions? There is only one reason for this because no political party in Pakistan has been formed democratically. He emphasized that if the PPP Punjab is to be revived, then membership should be started and the organization should be organized from the bottom up to revive the PPP. Sheikh Rashid’s grandson Raza Ashfaq, while speaking, said that he was a worker of the PPP by birth. He said that Sheikh Rashid struggled against feudalism, capitalism, and American imperialism.
The father of socialism was the same in public and in private. Addressing the seminar, Tariq Khurshid, Javed Akhtar, Abid Saqi, Mushtaq Lashari, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Ammar Shah Punjabi, Wajid Shah, Barrister Adnan, Shahida said that Pakistan Today, a committed leader like Sheikh Rashid is needed. Sheikh Rashid called Zulfikar Ali Bhutto the leader of the people. He said that the PPP, unfortunately, adopted the style of politics of the feudal lords. Bhutto took politics out of the drawing room and brought it to the streets.
The speakers further said that a new membership campaign should be started in Punjab by forming an empowered committee. Benazir Sufi fairs should be organized in 128 tehsils of Punjab. The PPP should create an independent narrative for the revival of Punjab and strengthen all institutions instead of any one institution.
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