PPP government in Sindh led by its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zaradri is celebrating Sindh cultural festival. Celebrating culture is a good move but PPP government is indeed using it to deceive the people. PPP government has miserably failed in its last five years rule and this time in provincial government it has not done any better. In a bid to cover their failures, they have started this cultural festival which serves as an attention diverter for the masses.
Sindh has a rich culture and it is a matter of pride for the people of Sindh. It is the place where once Indus Valley civilization flourished and therefore there is treasure of cultural heritage which must be protected as well as celebrated. But at the same time, first the basic problems of the people need to be addressed, only then they can afford the luxuries such as Sind Festival. A poor Sindhi who cannot be sure of daily food for his family will get nothing from such festivals. Just as PML-N government in Punjab keeps people busy in talking about showpiece projects such as metro bus, laptop scheme and Danish school system etc. Same thing is being done by PPP in the name of celebrating the cultural of Sindh.
Last government of PPP was the most corrupt one in the history of Pakistan. According to Transparency International, the amount of corruption was worth an astonishing Rs. 8,500 billion. Several corruption cases are pending against PPP leaders including Asif Zardari, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Yousaf Raza Gillani, Khurshid Shah and others. The issue of corruption is also rampant in Sindh and PPP has failed to control it by all means. One wonders what will become of PPP leadership if NAB is let to work independently while disregarding any political pressure. That is less likely to happen owing to the so-called reconciliatory policy of Nawaz Sharif who cannot afford the displeasure of any of its political opponents in present political and economic turmoil. Under such circumstances, Sindh Festival is a well thought out plan not only to distract attention from the stained governance of PPP but also to help in revamping its political image.
Bilawal Bhutto Zaradri, the born prince, is just 25 years old who took off his political career mostly through twitter. This Festival has worked as a perfect launching platform to kick start political career of the young Bhutto. Sindh Festival is portraying Bilawal as a central authority figure that loves culture and is liberal in his political orientation. This works well to garner a much needed reputation for Bilawal at the start of his political career. Many people have already started believing Bilawal as a liberal and progressive leader who can lead Pakistan in future for better. But we must not forget that he is just another member of the Bhutto dynasty and like his grandfather and father, I suppose, he will not do any good to this country. Nevertheless, there are several people who are always ready to be conned and this festival serves that purpose of conning such people.
Presently, PPP has been voted out of the federal government and they are ruling in Sindh only. There are several issues that come under the ambit of their government which it has failed to deal with. Rural Sindh is the political base of PPP and its abysmal conditions reflect how PPP has repaid the loyalty of its voters. Literacy rate in rural Sindh is just 41%, compared to 52% in rural Punjab. Rural Sindh is virtually a safe haven for dacoits and people live at their mercy. A display of the writ of dacoits in rural Sindh was seen when friends of Bilawal were robbed near Khairpur when they were returning from Sindh Festival in Moen-jo-Daro. Last month nine people in Kashmore jumped in Indus River to evade police arrest. People are so terrified from police in Sindh that they preferred death over police torture. These problems are the real issues which Bilawal and PPP government need to seriously worry about rather than holding cultural festivals.
Over the years PPP has been instrumental in luring the masses to get their votes, time and time again. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, a civilian dictator and grandfather of Bilawal, fooled people with the slogan of Islamic socialism in 1970s election and people voted for him. Government of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was a nightmare for his political opponents who went through all sorts of ordeal for opposing Bhutto. PPP again made the government in 1988, this time because people were tired of eleven years of General Zia. PPP government again began to show its true colors and indulge in massive corruption. Since then every PPP government has broken the record of previous government but people still vote for them.
There are PPP Jiyalas who defend each and every act of PPP and its leadership irrespective of any logic. As long as such people are present, Bilawal and his family will keep on deceiving the people in the name of Roti, Kapra aur Makan (Bread, Clothing and Housing) and will keep on winning elections. They will lose one election then people will forget everything because of events like Sindh Festival and vote for them again next time. The pattern continues and so does the destruction of Pakistan, unabated. Those people who repeatedly vote for parties like PPP, PMLN (PTI is no different) are not only responsible for their poor condition but also for the devastation of Pakistan.
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