Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has vowed to reject the politics of lies of puppets, saying that just like Musharraf has become a part of the past, selected is also a part of the past now because “we have thrown out the selected like Musharraf – like a fly out of milk”.
However, Foreign Minister Bilawal said, “The PPP did not believe in politics of revenge. I do not want my political opponents to suffer the way the PPP leadership did.”
While addressing PPP's public meeting held in Garhi Khuda Bux, Larkana to commemorate the 15th death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on Tuesday, the Bhutto dynasty scion advised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to return to parliament to forestall history from repeating itself.
He recalled the manner in which Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz and PPP MNA Faryal Talpur were arrested allegedly on the behest of Imran, reminding him that he also had a sister, a daughter and a wife. "But if you don't become a part of democracy, if you don't adopt a democratic behaviour, and if you don't play your role in parliament, we won't be able to stop those who may want to do the same to you."
He reiterated that Imran should come back to parliament and take his seat.
He dubbed this suggestion for Imran as a “last warning”.
"We bore you for four years while sitting in the opposition ... you are a stranger to the house."
Bilawal said the government and other political stakeholders will negotiate with the PTI only if the party resumed its parliamentary role.
He offered that the PTI would be taken on board for reform-oriented legislations concerning the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the National Accountability Bureau only if Imran opted to stay in parliament.
"I don't want to see you suffering the same way like us. I don't want to see you imprisoned with your former first lady visiting you [in jail] with children. I don't want to see NAB used against you."
The PPP chairman said no harm has been caused to Imran, but he has already started to weep.
To the catastrophic monsoon rains and subsequent floods, Bilawal deplored that instead of reaching out to millions of affected people, Imran not only indulged himself in politics for the throne of Lahore, but also tried to preoccupy the government with it.
He said the former PM instead of allowing the government to help the affected people wanted to take back the office for the assembly's remaining tenure of around six months.
"We would like to ask our opponent to become a human being first and then a politician. If Pakistan, its economy, and people survive, there will be a country in which we can fight over the chair of the PM."
He blamed Imran for time and again violating Article 6 of the Constitution by inviting the military to meddle in politics.
The PPP chairman thanked his party's supporters for participating in the party's long march to Islamabad earlier this year, telling them they were not only pivotal to ouster of Imran but they also influenced an institution.
He said former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa in a recent speech confessed that the army used to interfere in politics. He added that the whole institution decided not to get involved in politics again. "This happened because of the valiant struggle of jiyalas. And this is a journey of three generations. This is also a democratic revenge of Benazir and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto."
Terrorism
Bilawal accused Imran of implementing his policy of appeasement towards terrorists which allowed terrorism to rear its ugly head again.
He recalled that the country's soldiers, policemen, and politicians like his mother Benazir Bhutto, civilians as well as teachers and students sacrificed their lives in the fight against terror which was successfully won through operation Zarb-e-Azb.
"The backbone of terrorism had broken. Their morale had broken. And they couldn't find people to use."
He said even Nato’s success fell pale in front of Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies efforts.
He questioned who allowed the “selected, illegal and inept former PM to bow down before the terrorists” and start negotiations without taking permission from the people of Pakistan, especially the victims of terrorism.
"The nation wants to know who allowed those who were jailed in Afghanistan to enter into Pakistan. South and North Waziristan were cleared of the menace of terror with the blood of Pakistanis but then who allowed the terrorists to come there?"
The FM emphasised that the country needed to establish its writ in the areas where terrorism was raising its head.
He urged the nation to become united again to defeat the extremists as well as the terrorists.
"I believe that Pakistan has the power to defeat them [terrorists]. But I and the nation need the answer that how all of this was allowed to happen. The people of Pakistan – K-P, Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh – and the martyrs demand answers."
In his around an hour-long speech, Bilawal also spoke at length about the political endeavours and sacrifices of Zulfiqar Bhutto and Benazir. He announced that the provincial government would not only provide interest-free loans for the reconstruction of houses to the flood-affected people, but regularise the land in Katchi Abadis and Goth schemes.
He believed that the regularisation will act as a financial impetus for the affected people and the economy.
He expressed hope that the upcoming donors’ conference in Europe would garner sufficient funds for rehabilitation.
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