Bilawal squashes discord rumours with PML-N

PPP chairman hopes politics of both parties would be carried forward according to Charter of Democracy

KARACHI:

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday denied the impression that there was any “political difference” between his party and the PML-N, hoping that politics of both the parties would be carried forward according to the Charter of Democracy.

The differences between the two parties emerged after the scion of the Bhutto dynasty in a public gathering in Swat on Saturday accused the ruling coalition government of ignoring the provinces that bore the brunt of last year’s devastating floods in the proposed budget.

“The budget for fiscal 2023-24 contains little of the PPP’s input,” he said, adding that “If Muslim League [PML-N] wants the PPP to vote for this budget then it must first allocate funds for flood reconstruction.”

Responding to Bilawal a day later, PML-N senior leader Ahsan stressed that the coalition partners should sort out all issues in cabinet meetings and not in public rallies.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has always given more importance to the coalition partners than to his own party members and has always resolved their issues. Taking shots at each other in public creates an air of instability, which Pakistan cannot afford,” he added.

Addressing the media during the oath-taking ceremony of Karachi mayor and deputy mayor, the PPP chairman maintained that there was no political difference with the PML-N.

“There could be difference on policy with the PML-N [but] there will be no personal opposition,” he said.

The PPP chairman hoped that the politics of both the parties would move forward according to the Charter of Democracy – a pledge between the PPP and PML-N made in 2006 not to side with undemocratic forces in a bid to topple each other’s government.

Terming it a historic day, Bilawal noted that a mayor and deputy mayor from the PPP had been elected in Karachi for the first time in history.

He felicitated his party workers and officials and recalled that PPP was stopped from electing its mayor in 1979, 1983 and 2001 through rigging.

He vowed to take “personal interest” in resolving the issues faced by Karachi while emphasising that the country’s advancement depended on the city’s progress.

Bilawal expressed the hope that Karachi would have the best local government system under the leadership of newly elected Mayor Murtaza Wahab.

He urged PPP’s rival in mayor election Jamaat-e-Islami to work with other political forces while alleging that the latter was trying to “take over” Karachi in collaboration with the PTI.

The PPP chairman stated that the sacrifices of PPP were unforgettable, adding that the party would prove its mettle to those who hurled allegations of rigging at the party in the mayor election.

He mentioned that his party delegation would again meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while hoping that funds for flood victims are allocated.

Unprecedented flash floods caused by historic monsoon rains killed at least 1,000 people and affected more than 33 million mainly in Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan last year.

Bilawal said the PPP would soon present its manifesto before the people for next general elections.

He demanded that the PPP should be given a “level-playing field” in the next polls.

Regretting the Greece boat tragedy, the PPP chairman vowed strict action against human traffickers.