Taking the reins: Bilawal vows to test PML-N as ‘true opposition’

Reiterates PPP’s warning of a long march after December 27

LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto said the PML-N government will now understand the meaning of true opposition.

The party reiterated its warning of a long march after December 27 if its four demands of “democratic accountability” are not accepted by the government.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, addressing the concluding session of the party’s 49th Foundation Day celebrations at Bilawal House, said he formed a committee to implement the democratic accountability plan.

“If the government does not accept my demands, including democratic accountability on Panama scandal, democratic accountability on counterterrorism under the National Action Plan, socioeconomic justice in mega projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and democratic accountability on foreign policy, I will announce a long march after the reorganisation of the party,” Bilawal maintained.



“Earlier, my friend (PTI Chairman Imran Khan) was giving a tough time to the ruling party. Now the Bhuttos will show the government what true opposition is,” he underlined.

The party chairman said he did not come to Lahore not to take part in Punjab politicking, but to occupy the province in a democratic manner. He said the PPP, in the first phase, would raise a ‘go Nawaz go’ slogan across the country and subsequently start its campaign for the 2018 general elections.

He stressed monarchy continued in Punjab, but added that this would be the last term of the Sharif brothers as PPP had decided to permanently end their rule in the country.

Criticising the ruling party, Bilawal said PML-N had contested general elections with the promise to end load-shedding. However, he said power outages persisted and only tariffs were increased instead.

“Where is the Sasti Roti scheme? Where is the Ashiana Housing project? Where are Danish schools? All these flawed schemes to defraud with public.”

The PPP chairman further these ‘steel-loving’ rulers failed to provide schools for children, medicine for patients and low-cost housing for the poor. “Instead, they increase the burden of debt on each and every citizen of the country. Right now, every child of Pakistan is under a debt of Rs120,000. Rulers had ruined the national economy and the future of the country, but PML-N’s extravagant spending has continued.

Bilawal reiterated that corruption was rampant in the country. “PPP will not allow Sharif to escape the Panama scandal and will ensure democratic accountability of the ruling family.” He said he has decided to base PPP in Lahore after December 27, “right in the heart of the Raiwind throne”, to start the accountability process of PML-N.

Addressing the workers’ convention earlier, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan accused the Sharif family of not being loyal to Pakistan. He alleged that it had used public offices to make personal relations with international families.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2016.