By our correspondent
KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Labor, Human Resources and Social Protection Saeed Ghani has said that the perception that votes in Karachi are cast along ethnic lines is gradually disappearing, with people increasingly supporting political parties on the basis of performance, ideology and vision.
Saeed Ghani urged all stakeholders to work together to eliminate those who exploit ethnic divisions for what he described as “cheap politics”.
The gathering was also addressed by PPP Sindh General Secretary Syed Waqar Mehdi, Member of the National Assembly Asad Alam Niazi, Korangi District President Jani Memon, Korangi Town Chairman Naeem Sheikh, Korangi General Secretary Sharjeel Rizwani, Deputy General Secretary Nasir Rahim Lodhi, Tahir Khan, Umar Farooq, Kamran Rajput and other party leaders.
Congratulating the audience on the upcoming Independence Day celebrations, Ghani praised Ahmed Raza for organising what he described as an impressive event in UC-8, Korangi Town. Reflecting on the PPP’s political progress in the area, Ghani noted that there was a time when the party received little public support in the district.
However, he said local government elections had resulted in the election of PPP-backed union council and town chairmen, while the 2024 general elections saw the party secure a provincial assembly seat from the area. He said the results demonstrated the confidence of local residents in the PPP and showed that the long-held perception that the party could not succeed in certain parts of Karachi had changed.
Ghani added that extensive development work had been carried out in Korangi and Central districts and pledged that such initiatives would continue. He reiterated that Karachi’s voters were increasingly making decisions based on governance, ideas and performance rather than ethnicity.
Stressing the need to heal old divisions, he said decades of hatred must come to an end and that it was the collective responsibility of all citizens to promote harmony in the city. “We must not spread prejudice because of personal differences,” he said, adding that political forces exploiting ethnic sentiments for narrow interests must be rejected.
Ghani further claimed that the PPP was the only political party in Pakistan that worked beyond distinctions of language, ethnicity and race. “We believe in the politics of love, brotherhood and the development of Karachi,” he said.
Minister said people from all linguistic and ethnic backgrounds held positions throughout the party, adding that the PPP had achieved electoral success not only in Sindhi, Baloch, Pakhtun and Punjabi-majority areas but also in predominantly Urdu-speaking constituencies.
Addressing the gathering, PPP Sindh General Secretary Syed Waqar Mehdi praised Ahmed Raza for organizing the Independence Day event and said Pakistan’s freedom had been achieved through immense struggle and sacrifice under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his colleagues.
He urged the public to safeguard the country, describing Pakistan as the result of a political movement led by Quaid-e-Azam. Waqar Mehdi said Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto admired Quaid-e-Azam and continued his mission by providing Pakistan with a unanimous constitution.
He also credited Bhutto with strengthening freedom of expression, expanding voting rights, promoting development and employment in Karachi, enabling ordinary citizens to obtain passports and improving the living standards of workers.
UC-8 Chairman and Korangi District Information Secretary Ahmed Raza said the event belonged to the people of UC-8 and reflected their unwavering support for the Pakistan People’s Party.
Korangi Town Chairman Naeem Sheikh said the commitments made by Ahmed Raza during the local government election campaign were now being fulfilled, adding that the UC chairman was working tirelessly for the welfare of the area.
MNA Asad Alam Niazi commended the development work undertaken in UC-8, describing it as exemplary. He said August was a month of pride for Pakistan as it marked the country’s independence.
He added that the Pakistan People’s Party had made significant contributions to the nation’s progress, stating that its founder, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, laid the foundations for Pakistan’s nuclear program and, within six years, gave the country both a constitution and the path towards becoming a nuclear power.
