Bilawal begins train march against Centre

Tariq Butt

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal on Tuesday launched the first major protest against the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) led government with a special train carrying hundreds of party workers to Larkana, the hometown of Bhuttos.

The protest titled Karwan-e-Bhutto (Caravan of Bhutto) comes days after Bilawal and his father Asif Ali Zardari were interrogated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Rawalpindi in connection with money laundering probe through alleged fake bank accounts.

The PPP called the NAB inquires political witch-hunt.

Bilawal started his train march from the Cantonment Station of Karachi.

The special train has one luxury special saloon, one air conditioned sleeper and 14 cars including eight economy class bogies and two power pack engines.

Two bogies were allocated to security guards.

The PPP chief addressed party workers at a number of locations en route to Larkana where he is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday night.

The spot he will speak included Landhi in Karachi, Jung Shahi in District Thatta, Kotri in District Jamshoro, Hyderabad, Odero Lal in District Matiari, Tando Adam, Shahdadpur and Nawabshah.

The mid-journey break was taken at the Nawabshah Railway station.

The march will then resume the journey from Nawabshah on Wednesday.

The train will pass Daur, Padidan, Mihrabpur, Bhirya Road, Khairpur Miris, Rohri, Sukkur, Habib Kot, Gosri, Madeji, and Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, to finally reach Larkana.

The PPP chairman will conclude the journey by addressing the party workers and supporters at the Larkana Railway Station.

The hanging anniversary of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto would be observed on April 4 in Garhi Khuda Bux, Larkana, where he is buried along with other Bhuttos including Benazir Bhutto, Murtaza Bhutto and Shahnawaz Bhutto.

This is the major public mobilisation that Bilawal is doing.  His father did not accompany him in the train march while several PPP leaders were with him.

Addressing the crowds en route, he lambasted the Imran Khan government and said it has not agenda but victimisation of the opposition parties.

He said that no tactics would succeed in bowing the opposition.