- Bilawal urged PML-N not to trust others for politics.
- He said he was hopeful that the PPP would win the upcoming elections.
- “PPP’s manifesto is a reflection of its performance in Thar.”
Amid Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Balochistan, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday advised the three-time prime minister to keep his focus on Lahore and Punjab. Solve the problems faced by his party. ,
“Mian Sahib has been suggested to visit other provinces. I would suggest that he should stay in Lahore and concentrate on its problems,” the PPP chairman said during a press conference in Mithi.
The PPP chief urged the PML-N to do politics on its own instead of relying on others.
The former foreign minister made these comments after PML-N announced that it would contest the elections jointly with Muttahiya Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P).
Nawaz is also visiting Balochistan to meet several political leaders, including the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP). There is also a possibility of reaching an agreement with the party on adjustment of seats.
Bad results of Nawaz’s visit may be seen in Balochistan
During the press conference, the politician asked that if there is a government in a province and center and has the support of institutions, then which political party will run from the by-election.
“They ran away from the local body elections. I don’t know what the fear was,” Bilawal said. He said that the Nawaz-led party should have focused on Balochistan first.
The politician said that the PPP was ousted from the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and was criticized for taking votes from the BAP.
“If BAP was bad yesterday, it will be bad today also. Same result will emerge in Mian Saheb’s journey also.”
It should be noted that PML-N and BAP have a bitter past, as the party was founded in 2018 by political dissidents of Nawaz’s party as well as PML Quaid.
PML-N chief organizer Maryam Nawaz had also criticized the PPP leadership for aligning with the Balochistan-based party while the PML-N was at loggerheads with BAP over the post of opposition leader.
However, Nawaz’s party forgot everything and named Anwar-ul-Haq Kakkar as the interim Prime Minister.
During the press conference, Bilawal also said that Pakistan cannot prosper amid politics of condemnation, accusations and revenge.
He stressed that there is a huge difference between the people of Islamabad and the rest of the country.
The PPP leader said, “Those sitting in Islamabad know little about the ground reality. We do not look at the left and right, but at the people.”
‘We want PPP government to be formed’
Looking back at the time when PPP was part of the grand PDM alliance, the former federal minister said: “Forming the government by supporting the PDM was the need of the hour. Had we kept [our] First political interest, then we would have taken a different decision.”
He said that at that time there was a political and economic crisis in the country and Pakistan was isolated at the foreign level, hence forming the government with PDM was the right decision at the right time.
“We are now moving towards elections, we want the PPP government to be formed,” he said.
The former minister reiterated that he has no differences or resentment with anyone. “At this time we have no dispute with any institution. PPP is looking towards the public, but there is no fight with any institution.”
PPP never got a level playing field
Bilawal once again complained that the PPP never got a level playing field.
The PPP has consistently raised concerns about the lack of level playing field to prove itself before the elections.
[Islami Jamhoori Ittehad] IJI was formed against PPP. There was no level playing field, yet the government was formed.
“Even today, a kind of field is being prepared. PPP is ready to play on every pitch. We are hopeful that we will win.”
The 35-year-old politician said he is ready to contest the elections after his 15-month stint in the government as foreign minister. Taking a dig at politicians from PPP’s rival parties, he asked, “Are Shehbaz Sharif and other leaders also ready or are they hiding their faces?”
PPP has the support of Bhutto loyalists
Bilawal further said that he has the support of Benazir Bhutto and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto loyalists, adding that his party is fulfilling his mother’s promises.
“We are trying to complete an incomplete mission,” he said, adding that critics say his party cannot do the job.
Speaking about the situation in Tharparkar, Bilawal said that the mortality rate of women and children in the district has decreased by 50% and there were no doctors in Thar earlier, however, PPP has helped in reducing unemployment due to its projects. Is of.
“The PPP’s manifesto is a reflection of its performance in Thar,” he said. Bilawal further said that he will not rest until there are jobs for all and people are not brought out of poverty.
The former minister said the PPP plans to set up a railway line from Tharparkar to Karachi which will help Thar coal reach markets.
Bilawal then said that the RO plant in the district faced hurdles due to differences between the province and the federal government, adding that the housing project for flood victims in Sindh has also slowed down.
“We argued with the federal government that the royalty (given to Sindh) should be spent on the people here. However, it could not be resolved as our tenure was about to end,” he said.
The PPP Chairman then talked about the current government, saying that the caretakers are expected to hold elections and continue the policy of the previous government.
“The caretaker government should provide facilities and not become obstacles,” he said.
Expressing regret over the lack of attention given to education in Pakistan, the former minister said that the project of NED University has started in Thar.
He said his party has started monthly stipends for women so that they can teach their children, adding that they want to raise the standards of teachers through teacher training.
