PM wants to ‘hijack’ G-B elections: Bilawal

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan in order to “hijack” the Gilgit-Baltistan elections had raised the issue of giving the region the status of an interim province.

Addressing public gatherings during his election campaign in Mehdiabad area of G-B, Bilawal stressed that the people of region should be given their constitutional rights and added that the PPP supported their stance for a full province.

The PPP chairperson said that the “tabdeeli” (change) that the PTI-led government was talking about bringing in the lives of the people of G-B was in fact “devastation”.

He recalled that the G-B’s first governor and chief minister were from the PPP and added that the promises the party had made with the people of the region during its 2018 general election manifesto were fulfilled.

He urged the local residents to vote for his party and resolved that if the PPP came to power, employment would be created, Benazir Income Support Programme expanded and health and education sectors would be improved.

During his stay in G-B until November 12, Bilawal will campaign for the party’s candidates in all 10 districts by addressing rallies, corner meetings and news conferences.

The elections on 24 general seats of the G-B Legislative Assembly, which were earlier scheduled for August 18, were postponed due to Covid-19 situation.

The five-year term of the previous assembly had ended on June 24, bringing an end to the five-year rule of the PML-N.

The opposition parties had already warned the federal government against any move to interfere in the elections in G-B terming it a sensitive matter and the warning was also mentioned in the 26-point declaration issued at the conclusion of the opposition’s September 20 all parties conference.