Media talk: ‘Karachi violence a local phenomenon’

He was addressing a press conference at his home in Multan.

The PTI president said that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) should resolve its differences with the groups and not seek to present it as a national issue.

He said if voted into power, the PTI would focus on eliminating terrorism through talks with all the stakeholders in the on-going war.

“We have condemned and we will continue to condemn drone attacks. This war was started by the United States …Pakistan has nothing to gain from their war,” he said.

To a question, he said that the Pakistan Peoples Party was no longer the party founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He said it had ruled the country for five years and now lacked a leader to lead its campaign.

“When you restrict yourself to media campaigns, you must accept that the people no longer support you.”

He said if PPP leaders cannot face the people, they should stop “distracting them through media campaigns”.

Talking about Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Hashmi said the Sharif brothers had considered Multan a burden. Now the southern Punjab saw them as a burden.

He said in its five years government, “the PML-N had been snatching funds from the south and spending them on Lahore”.

“The Sharif brothers are now promising to resolve the energy crises if voted into power again. Were they sleeping for five years?” he asked.

He said south Punjab had suffered the most under the previous governments. The education, health and agriculture sectors, he said, were all on the verge of devastation.

He said it was high time the Sharif brothers realised they could not set up a Saudi-like dynasty here.

It is high time the Sharif brothers realise that they cannot set up a Saudi-like dynasty here.

The Sharif brothers had considered Multan a burden. Now the southern Punjab see them as a burden

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2013.