Bilawal suggests tabling no-confidence motion to dislodge govt

PPP chief says he will hopefully convince allies in the 11-party opposition alliance on the strategy

HYDERABAD:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Friday that he would suggest that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) table a no-confidence motion in the parliament to dislodge the PTI government.

“The PPP through the platform of Pakistan Democratic Movement will send this [PTI] government home in a democratic, legal and constitutional way,” he said while addressing the inauguration ceremony of Larkana Industrial Zone on Friday.

Striking a different note from the PDM’s head Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Bilawal said he will hopefully convince allies in the 11-party opposition alliance on the strategy and that he will bring them all on one page. “… if we have to attack we will have to do this in the assembly and in a democratic and constitutional way by bringing forward no confidence motion against the puppet prime minister, speaker and their inept government.”

“پاکستان ڈیموکریٹک موومنٹ اس نااہل، ناجائز اور سلیکٹڈ حکومت کو گھر بھیج کر ایک ایسی حکومت قائم کرنا چاہتی ہے جو عوام کی حقیقی معنوں میں ترجمانی کرے۔”
چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری@BBhuttoZardari
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— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) January 22, 2021

 

The PPP chairman claimed that the impact of his proposed move will be far greater than the public meetings, which the PDM has been organising across the country. “We will see them [PTI government] perspiring far greater over our meeting on a cup of tea then they have perspired even to our ten public meetings.”

He alleged the way federal ministers make statements to foment discord in the opposition’s ranks reflected their fear of the democratic forces. “They fear that if all democratic forces decided to attack the government, the puppet [a reference to prime minister Imran Khan] will have to go home.”

The scion of Bhutto dynasty added that the PPP is an obstacle in the way of PM Imran, who wants to implement more anti-people policies, alleging that this is why his party’s leadership is targeted through the media and National Accountability Bureau. However, he said, the PPP is experienced in confronting such conspiracies and the party also knew well how to oust the “undemocratic forces” from the power.

Bilawal accused PM Imran of inflicting the country’s people with historic inflation and redundancy. He reiterated that the PDM wants to oust the PTI from power and to bring a government, which is “truly representative of the people” because the public’s interest can only be served on priority when the common people, not the influential quarters become the electors.

The PPP’s chairman also raked the PTI-led government over the coals for the manner in which it has been dealing with the traders and industrialists. He alleged that the PTI’s highhanded tactics have only resulted in an economic meltdown with the country’s growth rate lagging behind even Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

“The PTI is employing danda [the stick] to collect taxes and to run the economy and the country and the result of this tactic is in front of everyone. They consider all the businessmen as thieves.” He differentiated his party’s approach to the trade and industry from that of the PTI, saying that they always try to facilitate instead of “browbeating” the business community.

He credited the PPP’s Sindh government for setting an example of increasing the sales tax collection by means of ‘coaxing’ the business community and bringing them into the tax net through a gradual and steady approach. “We have given competitive tax rates like our sales tax rate is lower than all other provinces and we don’t consider the people from whom we collect the sales tax as criminals.”

Bilawal further accused the Centre of forsaking the people of Sindh, saying that his party’s provincial government is left alone to take care of their wellbeing. He expressed hope that the Larkana Industrial Zone will offer great opportunities for trade and industry besides creating thousands of jobs. He said the zone is located at a strategic point along the route of China-Pakistan Economic besides bordering Punjab.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah will offer incentives for the industrial zone to support the local industry, he added and asked farmers to establish agro-industries pointing out that Larkana produced the highest quantity of rice while the district’s guava tastes best in the world.

“Until some years ago this project only existed on paper. But today I saw with my eyes the infrastructure, roads, lighting, recreational centers, mosque, hospital and all other facilities which exist here.” The Sindh CM and PPP Sindh President Nisar Khuhro also expressed their views on the occasion.