Former PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf leads massive ‘Kashmir will become Pakistan’ rally from Nasir Bagh to Charing Cross
LAHORE:
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) organised a massive rally under the banner ‘Kashmir will become Pakistan’ in Lahore on Sunday, marching from Nasir Bagh to Charing Cross.
The rally was led by former prime minister and PPP Central Punjab President Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and was attended by General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza, Information Secretary Shehzad Saeed Cheema, Ahsan Rizvi, Faisal Mir, Dr Ayesha Shaukat, Dr Fareed Zafar, Majid Ghori and other party leaders.
Four district presidents joined the march with their respective processions. By the time the rally reached Mall Road, it had turned into what party leaders described as a “million march”, with thousands of workers in attendance. Hundreds of vehicles and motorcycles from all four districts also formed part of the procession.
Recalling the vision of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Ashraf referred to Bhutto’s statement about building the nuclear programme despite hardships. He reiterated the party’s resolve to eradicate terrorism, stating that the PPP sought peace, stability and prosperity in Pakistan. He said Pakistan desired peaceful relations with its neighbours but would respond firmly to aggression.
Separate trucks were arranged for party leadership, media and television crews. Sibt Hasan joined the rally with a large procession of Peoples Students, while contingents from Peoples Youth, the Labour Union, the Rickshaw Union and the Women’s Wing also participated. Party songs and bhangra performances continued along the route.
General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza led chants of “Prime Minister Bhutto” and congratulated Faisal Mir and Majid Ghori on organising what he termed a successful rally. He said the PPP’s struggle was not against any individual ruler but against terrorism and unemployment.
Also addressing the crowd, Faisal Mir said no other political party had organised such a large rally in support of Kashmir. He said the march was held to pay tribute to the struggle of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, President Asif Ali Zardari and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
Mir said the PPP had once again revived the Kashmir issue in Lahore and asserted that the party had returned to reclaim Lahore and Punjab, adding that the next chief minister of Punjab and prime minister would be from the PPP.
He also saluted Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir for defeating India and called on Bilawal, President Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Munir to ensure that the Kashmir issue was included on US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’.
Shehzad Saeed Cheema said the jiyalas and jiyalis of Lahore had turned the rally into a million march, adding that whether it was Kashmir, Gaza, the economy or terrorism, Bilawal would resolve the country’s challenges, claiming that the “throne of Lahore” was trembling.
Former PM Ashraf also praised party workers, saying they had demonstrated on Mall Road that the PPP remained alive with pride, honour and dignity. He congratulated Mir and Dr Ayesha on the organisational arrangements, adding that party workers had made history and expressed confidence that the PPP would expand its presence across the country.
