PPP will form govt in Centre, Punjab: Bilawal

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has once again reiterated the resolve that the next government would be formed by a "jiyala" (PPP loyalist)".

Addressing a convention of party workers on Tuesday, the PPP chairperson, who is on a week-long tour of Punjab, said that no power could stop the party from forming the next government in the Centre as well as in Punjab - the heart of the PTI-led government.

Bilawal said that the PPP will focus its main agenda around the provision of relief to the underprivileged section of society, adding that only the PPP had the capability to do so.

Taking a jibe at the economic policies of both the ruling PTI and political rival PML-N, Bilawal said that the said governments had been tailored to pander to the rich and assumed that the country could be put back on track of development with such "anti-poor" policies.

The Bhutto scion said that the PPP's manifesto, since the times of party's founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, had been particularly designed to serve the poor people of the nation which he claimed had been proven over the passage of time.

Referring to his father's government, he said that Asif Ali Zardari sided with lower strata of the society and introduced the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). "These two parties [PTI and PML-N] used to ridicule us for our economic reforms but it now it is clear that by empowering womenfolk, we strengthened the economy".

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"President Zardari stood by the salaried class instead of the rich and increased their salaries by 120 per cent and pensions by a 100 per cent," Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, adding that, "If you want to side with the people, you have to support the PPP to fulfil the mission and materialise the dream of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto".

In a thinly disguised reference to the now disgruntled PTI leader Jahangir Tarin, Bilawal went on to say that the foundations of PTI were laid in Lodhran and the money of Lodhran had been used to form the government of the PTI. "Now, the PTI will be buried in Lodhran," he added.

The PPP chairman claimed that if people lended their support to his party, he would "save Punjab and Pakistan".

"I need your support to save Punjab and Pakistan. If we continue to work hard in the same manner, we will chase out the puppet and establish a true people's government," Bilawal claimed, adding there will be a "jiyala" prime minister and jiyala chief minister of Punjab."

On Sunday, Bilawal Bhutto dragged his anti-government campaign to the heart of ruling PTI and called upon his jiyalas to start the preparations for the formation of the next government.