LARKANA:Ameer Bux Bhutto, a noted politician and the son of ex-CM Sindh Mumtaz Bhutto on Monday applauded the PTI victory in the Punjab bye-elections and said that it showed that the people of Pakistan are ready to stand up against foreign hegemonic conspiracies.

In a statement, he congratulated PTI Chairman Imran Khan and all other party leaders, specially all the PTI candidates and party workers who made a tremendous effort against formidable odds to achieve this victory. Mr Bhutto said that their party stood vindicated in the highest democratic forum of the people who had given their own ruling that the position taken by the Chairman Imran Khan regarding the international conspiracy against his government and against Pakistan was true.

He said that this electoral triumph was unprecedented in the history of elections not just in Pakistan but on the global scale. He said that no incumbent government, despite the full backing of the establishment and the considerable benefit of powerful state machinery, had ever suffered such a crushing and humiliating defeat in the polls in recent memory.

Mr Bhutto further stated: “The massive turnout, unprecedented not only in bye-elections but even in general elections, is further vindication of Chairman Imran Khan’s line and reflects the passion it evokes amongst the people.

“If the federal and Punjab governments have any sense of decency in them, they should resign immediately,” he added. He said that the people had spoken and they had let it be known in no uncertain terms that they would not tolerate the incumbent regime of despicable and disreputable corrupt people.

“If we are to maintain some semblance of democracy in this country, the people’s voice must be heard and respected. We have to move forward in accordance with the will of the people and just as the electorate of the twenty constituencies in Punjab were given a chance to voice their opinion, the nation as a whole must now be allowed to express its will in a general election.”

Mr Bhutto says the salvation of the democratic system, indeed the salvation of the Pakistan, lies in allowing events to take their course according to the law and democratic norms and principles in light of the results of the Punjab bye-elections, which reflect political inertia and impetus all over the country.

“Any attempt to resist or frustrate the political realities to continue to artificially and unjustifiably prop up a dubiously installed highly unpopular government of foreign stooges will prove disastrous and will likely lead to damaging conflict and turmoil. Accepting public opinion can only elevate the esteem and dignity of establishment institutions and will also serve the national interests of the Pakistan,” he concluded.