MITHI: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi while addressing a public gathering at Mithi on the eve of Diwali said that in Pakistan, we are celebrating festival of Diwali with our Hindu brothers, but across the border in Rajhistan, Muslims were under oppression while in Kashmir, restrictions had been imposed even on Eid prayers and Muharram congregations.
Qureshi said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was focused on dispensation of justice to neglected and marginalized communities of Sindh and wanted to set them free from shackles of slavery of feudals. “I am here to hoist flag of change in under-developed area of Thar,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to Pir Pagara, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, minority community and all the residents of the area who supported him in his endeavors or voted in favour of PTI and maintained that every dark night ends into a bright morning.
Qureshi said that he earlier visited Tharparkar to express his support to poor people of the desert who were under oppression of feudal lords. “I am here again as coercive steps could not obstruct me whether you register fake FIRs, transfer government employees or occupy lands of our supporters,” he said adding that he was optimist that situation in Thar would change.
People who won previous election in Thar did not come back while he was there again, FM Qureshi said adding that his political vision was seeing winds of change blowing in Sindh. Imran Khan-led federal government has provided health cards indiscriminately to the residents of Tharparkar and every family could avail medical coverage of Rs1 million, he said.
He said that water is vital need of human and he got Rs 1 billion approved for his constituency but Sindh government obstructed the project. PM Imran Khan announced Rs120 billion relief package for low-income groups and every eligible person would get the facility on merit in a transparent manner, he stated adding that during difficult times of corona pandemic Ehsaas emergency cash assistance was made available to deserving families at their door step.
PTI government did not terminated social security program named after Benazir Bhutto and kept proving cash support to destitute population, he said adding that the federal government was trying to make the program transparent by removing corrupt practices from it.
Qureshi said that he had been in Thar to felicitate Arbab Ghulam Rahim on joining PTI. He also lauded velour of Lajpat Bheel who despite being a common citizen dared to challenge cruel and coercive feudal system in Thar. The foreign minister extended felicitation to Bheel community on festival of Diwali and said that now the minority community has to decide if the were read to choose the new vistas leading to their emancipation and empowerment.
The Central Vice President PTI and Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, while speaking at the occasion, said that the public gathering in Mithi conveys a message to Indian PM Modi that Pakistani Foreign Minister was celebrating Diwali with Hindu community in Tharparkar while Muslims of India were suffering inhuman persecution and tyranny.
In Sindh Bilawal Zardari has subjected the masses to suppression, exploitation and despotism and deprived them of their fundamental rights and basic amenities, he maintained adding that people will not forgive Bilawal and will make him accountable for his repressive acts.
Haleem said that Lajpat Sorani- a PTI worker who was protesting killing of a Thar coal employee Dodo Bheel-was put into prison and tortured vehemently while other PTI workers were also subjected to torture by police.
He said that PTI government allocated Rs. 275 billion for provision of health card to people of Tharparkar so that every citizen of under-developed desert area could avail better health facilities. Haleem Adil while pointing out corruption in funds of R.O plants said that breakfast of Bilawal House was prepared with R.O plant funds. Flour price in Punjab is Rs 55 per kg while in Sindh, it is Rs 80, he said. PPP government has deprived people of Sindh of health, education, drinking water and other necessities, Haleem said.
PTI MNA Jai Parkash Lohana said that people of Thar were provided health cards by the federal government, but the Sindh government could not provide hospitals. He informed that a federal government-funded project would start next month under that summer pumps to be installed in 600 villages of Tharparkar.
PTI leaders, MNA Laal Malhi, Dr Ramesh Kumar, Chela Ram and other said on the occasion that festival of Diwali is celebrated to mark victory of virtue and righteousness over the vice. They said that minorities in Pakistan were enjoying rights equal to majority communities and national leadership was here at the far-most area of the country just to celebrate the religious event of minority community.
Earlier, Shah Mehmood Qureshi received a warm welcome when he reached Mithi in a rally from Karachi accompanied with Makhdoomzada Zain Hussain Qureshi, Haleem Adil Sheikh, MPA Riaz Hyder, Hiji Nisar Ahmed Arain, Haji Asghar Pali, Akbar Pali and others.