Would have sent the govt packing if not ‘deceived’: Bilawal

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday claimed that the PTI-led government would have been sent packing with a no-confidence motion had his party not been “misled and deceived” by the leadership of the anti-government alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

The Bhutto scion further reiterated the resolve that the next government in the country would be formed by his party, saying the new premier will be a “jiyala”.

Speaking to the media in Multan, Bilawal said the proposal for mounting no-trust bids — the issue which led to PPP's separation from the alliance — could have potentially achieved the goal of ousting the government, adding that the PDM was adamant on its own course “which eventually forced PPP to come to political arena alone”.

“It was due to the PPP that Prime Minister Imran Khan was forced to take a vote of confidence from the parliament,” he added.

Commenting on PPP’s policy to give a separate status of a province to the southern region of Punjab, Bilawal said his party would follow the Farhatullah Babar Commission Report in this regard.

Read Bilawal, Shehbaz discuss overall political situation of country

The PPP chairman lashed out at the government over its decision to introduce the controversial Single National Curriculum (SNC) and alleged that the motives behind it were the government’s attempts to deprive people of their identity in the disguise of uniformity.

He suggested that the syllabus should be prepared with a mutual understanding of all stakeholders.
Separately in a meeting with the columnists and editors at the Peoples Secretariat Multan, Bilawal said if transparent elections were held, PPP would win from all over the country.

He alleged that the present government wanted to snatch the identity of the cultural units of the country.

The Bhutto scion observed that the PDM did not want to remove Punjab Chief Minister Usman Bazdar or overthrow [PM] Imran Khan's government.

“PDM parties can't get any success with their frivolous attitude.”

He said the PPP will solve the problems of people by forming next government adding that his party carried out the electoral reforms after which the opposition leader and the election commission became powerful.

“Reforms are done by consensus but this government wants to impose reforms. PPP is the only party which made its worker the premier.”

He asked the people to give an opportunity to the young leadership of his party to serve the country.

Earlier, addressing workers' convention in Dera Ghazi Khan which turned out to be a huge public gathering, Bilawal said he had come to the city to “revive” the three-generation-long relation between the PPP and the people of Punjab to “take the country to new heights”.

“The people of this region had written a new history by supporting Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who became the first woman prime minister of  the entire Muslim world,” he said.

Bilawal said the people of the country were in pain due to “inept policies” of the “selected premier”.

“The labourers, growers, businessmen, traders and students are suffering due to this ‘selected’ Prime Minister Imran Khan. He has brought historic price hike, unemployment and poverty with him,” he said.

“The next government will be of the PPP and the next prime minister of Pakistan will be a ‘jiyala’.”
The Bhutto scion maintained that the PPP governments in the past worked for the people and brought prosperity and employment in the country.

Read more Bilawal reminds PDM of mass resignation

“Quaid-e-Awam (Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto) made the lives of growers and labourers easy and prosperous. Shaheed Benazir Bhutto brought employment with her. President Zardari gave every poor woman economic emancipation and introduced the Benazir Income Support Programme. In his [Zardari’s] government growers were flourishing as Pakistan was exporting wheat and the CPEC started.”

He said people in the country were ignored after the PPP government.

“We have come out to save the poor and will not forgive [PM] Imran Khan for making their lives difficult,” he said, adding that the PPP would hold the “premier accountable for all the ‘crimes’ he has committed against the deprived and the underprivileged”.

The PPP chairman questioned the PTI government’s promise of providing 10 million jobs and five million houses to the deserving saying “[PM] Imran is instead snatching jobs, roti (food), kapra (clothing) and makan (shelter)”.

“We will go to every district in Punjab and whoever raises the slogan of Jeay Bhutto is needed by the country and the party.”

The PPP chairman’s cavalcade received a warm welcome on Muzaffargarh Bypass where people showered rose petals and danced on the drum beat and raised slogans.

“The people of Punjab want to send the Buzdar government home,” he said, pledging that the PPP would establish Awami Raj (people’s rule) in the country.