AJK elections: Bilawal warns PML-N against rigging in polls

Endorses Imran’s statement that PM Nawaz is biggest threat to democracy


Irfan Ghauri July 20, 2016
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto gestures during a news conference. PHOTO: APP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday hinted at resorting to ‘dharna politics’ if the ruling PML-N government is found involved in rigging during the general elections in the semi-autonomous region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

“If the PML-N committed rigging in AJK or resorted to bloodshed, people would forget the 2014 dharna [of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf],” the PPP chairman warned, in his broken Urdu accent, in what was his first open interaction with reporters in Islamabad.

“Our party will once again win elections in the AJK,” Bilawal claimed. The PPP was currently ruling the region, where general elections are scheduled for July 21.

Bilawal appeared willing to join hands with other parties including Imran Khan’s PTI to give the ruling party tough time on the issue of Panama leaks which in April revealed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family owned offshore companies.

He came down hard on the PML-N for its inaction in investigating Panama scam but also made it clear that his party would remain within the ambit of the Constitution in any action against the government.

The PPP chief also endorsed Imran Khan’s recent statement that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s governance style was the biggest threat to democracy but said he would not support Imran’s idea to dislodge the government through any unconstitutional means.

“However, I am willing to work with PTI on mutually agreed points,” he added.

Referring to his party’s plans to press government on Panama Leaks issue, he said: “We can pressure the government by using constitutional forums like parliament, NAB [National Accountability Bureau] and others.”

His statement gives a clear indication that the PPP is probably not ready for any street movement at this point of time, contrary to the PTI which has been threatening a street agitation to force the government come to opposition’s terms in investigating the scandal.

The main opposition party in terms of lawmakers in parliament, the PPP – which young Bilawal inherited from his slain mother Banazir Bhutto – had been arch rival of Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N until the two reached reconciliation in 2006.

This reconciliation, later pursued by his father and former president Asif Ali Zardari, was also tagged by some as collusion between the two parties.  However, the PPP has recently started taking on its traditional role at least at the level of statements by its leaders.

Bilawal said the policy of reconciliation was not started by him but by his late mother and it has not been limited to the PML-N only. Like most of the PPP leaders, he also evaded discussion on poor governance in Sindh, the province his party has been continuously ruling since 2008.

On foreign policy and Kashmir

Bilawal was critical of what he believes weak foreign policy of the present government.

“No government can afford not to have a full time foreign minister given that Pakistan is facing serious challenges at all its borders,” he said.

He also crticised Nawaz Sharif’s softer approach towards Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bilawal said no political party supported him when he criticised Modi and his party’s website was hacked by Indian hackers. He vowed to continue to voice for Kashmiri people ‘like his mother and grandfather’.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2016.

COMMENTS (1)

Haji Atiya | 7 years ago | Reply Talk about strange quirks in nature, are Imran Khan and Bilawal suddenly new best pals...? Is there something deeeeeper to this ?!
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