Angry protesters disrupt Bilawal’s electoral campaign in Karachi

KARACHI: Angry protesters disrupted Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s electoral campaign in Lyari area of Karachi on Sunday.

The residents of Bihar Colony stopped Bilawal’s rally from travelling to Lyari and chanted slogans against him. Some disgruntled protesters also resorted to vandalism and broke the windows of a car, which was a part of PPP chief’s caravan.

Bilawal’s motorcade was eventually halted as his car started to heat-up.

Speaking about the incident, PPP leader Yousaf Baloch told Geo News that protesters can never fall to the level that they did in Lyari. 

"Those protesting do not belong to PPP," he remarked, alleging that protesters belonged to their political rivals such as Muttahida Qaumi Movement among others. 

PPP urges ECP to take notice of incident

The spokesperson for Bilawal Bhutto Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar remarked that the PPP's rally was quite peaceful.

"Parties who engage in politics of violence won't be able to stop our way," he said. "We have always responded to violence by political action."

Khokhar added that district administration, police, and rangers should play their part.

"ECP should take notice of this incident and issue directions to finish hurdles (in way of politician's election campaign)," he remarked. 

PPP holds caretaker govt responsible

The PPP held the caretaker government responsible for the disruption of Bilawal’s caravan in Lyari. Maula Bux Chandio, who has served as information adviser to chief minister Sindh, questioned why the caretaker government failed to ensure proper arrangements for Bilawal’s visit to Lyari.

Moreover, party leader Saeed Ghani remarked that the PPP workers wanted to move forward but weren’t allowed to do so by the protesters. “Some people even pelted stones at the PPP rally.”

He further said: “we won’t be played by such miscreants”. 

Earlier in the day, Bilawal had reached Lyari and kicked off the party’s election campaign.

Upon arrival in Lyari, the Bhutto family scion stepped out of his car and chanted slogans. "I will fulfill all promises made in our manifesto," Bilawal vowed as he addressed supporters.

He added, "I will implement a programme through which people receive basic facilities on subsidised rates.

“The nation will stand by me for my first election," the PPP chairman said.

Bilawal will contest the upcoming general election, the first of his political career, from his party’s traditionally dominant National Assembly constituency in Lyari — NA-246.

The PPP chairman had visited Lyari on Saturday to inaugurate his election office in the area.