Prior to PM Imran, Nawaz was also ‘selected’, claims Bilawal

PPP chairman says PTI govt’s ‘contract period’ has expired

LAHORE: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday said prior to Prime Minister Imran Khan, PML-N supreme leader and former premier Nawaz Sharif too was “selected” for the job, a statement that is likely to further drive the wedge between the two opposition parties.

“Just like the PTI, the PML-N also did not respect parliament,” the scion of the Bhutto dynasty told reporters in Lahore.

“Whenever the people of Punjab have needed it, the PML-N leadership has disappeared.”

Responding to a question about his party’s modest strength of seven MPAs in Punjab, he said slain PPP chairperson and former premier Benazir Bhutto with only 17 votes had prevented Nawaz, who had the majority in the house, from becoming the "Amir-ul-Momineen".

He further more said that his party’s Murad Ali Shah was a better chief minister than PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

The PPP chairman said the PTI was “handed over” the government under a “contract”.

“As they are on a contract, they are only fulfilling the obligations. Such a government doesn’t have any autonomy or authority.”

Bilawal averse to agencies’ role in drive against smuggling

Bilawal further maintained that the current PTI-led government will would be sent packing in six months as their contract period had expired.

Taking a jibe at the government over its policies, the PPP chairman said all the crises that had engulfed the country during military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s time had started to surface again. “When the summer comes, there will be power outages again coupled with inflated electricity’s bills.”

Later in the day, Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan took a broadside at the PPP chairman, saying that by speaking in English Bilawal wanted to dupe the international community into believing that his party was the only voice for secularism and tolerance whereas it was only a façade to hide its heinous crimes.

“In the last 12 years of their rule in Sindh, thousands of people have been killed.”

The minister also claimed that journalist Aziz Memon was murdered for exposing the failure of Bilawal’s train march.

“Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should be investigated for the journalist’s killing,” he demanded.

Chohan urged international human rights organisations to visit Sindh and to witness the rule of tyranny in the province.

He sarcastically said Larkana had been handed over to rabid dogs which were biting the hands that fed them.

“There is a cure for people who are bit by rabid dogs, but not for those bit by raid leaders.”