Bilawal heaps scorn on govt for ‘people’s suffering’
PPP chairman says fresh election next year to restore ‘true’ democracy
RAWALPINDI:
[fbvideo link="https://www.facebook.com/etribune/videos/2192748094363812/"][/fbvideo]
PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari on Friday launched a scathing attack on the PTI government, maintaining that its flawed policies had pushed the country into an economic, constitutional and governance crisis.
“They [the government] are claiming that the economy is heading in the right direction, but the reality is that a million people have lost their jobs in a year, inflation is spiraling out of control and people are suffering across the country,” the scion of the Bhutto dynasty said while addressing a mammoth gathering held at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh to observe the 12th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, the same venue where she was assassinated on December 27, 2007.
“This land is calling us as it is under threat once again. The Constitution is under attack, the media is not free and provinces are being deprived of their rights by attempts to roll back the 18th Amendment,” he told the charged crowd.
“People are being economically murdered. This government has become a menace for the public. Protests are breaking out in all provinces of the country,” he added.
The PPP chairman condemned the government’s decision to remove 0.8 million people from the list of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries.
He further maintained that extremism was rising again in the country even though terrorism had been defeated in the recent past.
The country’s economic decisions, Bilawal claimed, were being taken by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) instead of its people.
Pledging to restore “true” democracy in the country and accomplish his mother’s unfinished mission, Bilawal predicted that there would “free and fair” elections next year.
“From 2020, the country will be ruled by its people. The politics of Kufa cannot give rise to the state of Madina. People from Khyber to Karachi will be rid of this selected government,” he declared.
“These political orphans ruling the country couldn’t keep Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari in jail for long. This puppet government won’t continue for very long,” he added.
“This is not the democracy we sacrificed so dearly for and this is not the economy Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took revolutionary initiatives to strengthen.”
Speaking at length about the achievements of his late mother, the PPP chairman said Benazir Bhutto had defeated two military dictators in her political career.
“Benazir Bhutto struggled for 30 years to protect people’s rights,” said the Bilawal, adding that his mother had freed the media. “She [Benazir] had returned to Pakistan despite serious threats to her life.
He added that his father Asif Ali Zardari had been kept in jail for 12 years but no charges could be proven against him.
Zardari’s message
In a video message played at the rally, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said the current rulers were totally oblivious of problems being faced by poor and labourers of the country. “They don’t know what inflation is,” he added.
“One day, we will form a truly people’s government in the country. “We will resolve people’s issues.”
During the PPP’s last tenure, Zardari said, the party truly served the people, adding that it would again deliver if given another opportunity.
“Today, Bilawal is standing at the same place where Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter were martyred,” he remarked.
Earlier in the day, Bilawal was warmly welcomed by the party workers on his arrival in Rawalpindi.
He was brought to Liaquat Bagh in his bulletproof vehicle. Around 20,000 chairs had been set up for participants from across the country.
Two stages were set up at the venue, one for the central and provincial leadership and for the divisional and district level leaders.
Walls around the ground were adorned with party flags and images of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal, and Zardari besides the sponsoring leaders. The sound systems played PPP songs throughout the day to create a festive mood and keep the volunteers charged.
[fbvideo link="https://www.facebook.com/etribune/videos/2192748094363812/"][/fbvideo]
PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari on Friday launched a scathing attack on the PTI government, maintaining that its flawed policies had pushed the country into an economic, constitutional and governance crisis.
“They [the government] are claiming that the economy is heading in the right direction, but the reality is that a million people have lost their jobs in a year, inflation is spiraling out of control and people are suffering across the country,” the scion of the Bhutto dynasty said while addressing a mammoth gathering held at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh to observe the 12th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, the same venue where she was assassinated on December 27, 2007.
“This land is calling us as it is under threat once again. The Constitution is under attack, the media is not free and provinces are being deprived of their rights by attempts to roll back the 18th Amendment,” he told the charged crowd.
“People are being economically murdered. This government has become a menace for the public. Protests are breaking out in all provinces of the country,” he added.
The PPP chairman condemned the government’s decision to remove 0.8 million people from the list of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries.
He further maintained that extremism was rising again in the country even though terrorism had been defeated in the recent past.
The country’s economic decisions, Bilawal claimed, were being taken by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) instead of its people.
Pledging to restore “true” democracy in the country and accomplish his mother’s unfinished mission, Bilawal predicted that there would “free and fair” elections next year.
“From 2020, the country will be ruled by its people. The politics of Kufa cannot give rise to the state of Madina. People from Khyber to Karachi will be rid of this selected government,” he declared.
“These political orphans ruling the country couldn’t keep Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari in jail for long. This puppet government won’t continue for very long,” he added.
“This is not the democracy we sacrificed so dearly for and this is not the economy Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took revolutionary initiatives to strengthen.”
Speaking at length about the achievements of his late mother, the PPP chairman said Benazir Bhutto had defeated two military dictators in her political career.
“Benazir Bhutto struggled for 30 years to protect people’s rights,” said the Bilawal, adding that his mother had freed the media. “She [Benazir] had returned to Pakistan despite serious threats to her life.
He added that his father Asif Ali Zardari had been kept in jail for 12 years but no charges could be proven against him.
Zardari’s message
In a video message played at the rally, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said the current rulers were totally oblivious of problems being faced by poor and labourers of the country. “They don’t know what inflation is,” he added.
“One day, we will form a truly people’s government in the country. “We will resolve people’s issues.”
During the PPP’s last tenure, Zardari said, the party truly served the people, adding that it would again deliver if given another opportunity.
“Today, Bilawal is standing at the same place where Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter were martyred,” he remarked.
Earlier in the day, Bilawal was warmly welcomed by the party workers on his arrival in Rawalpindi.
He was brought to Liaquat Bagh in his bulletproof vehicle. Around 20,000 chairs had been set up for participants from across the country.
Two stages were set up at the venue, one for the central and provincial leadership and for the divisional and district level leaders.
Walls around the ground were adorned with party flags and images of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, Bilawal, and Zardari besides the sponsoring leaders. The sound systems played PPP songs throughout the day to create a festive mood and keep the volunteers charged.