Bilawal tells Nawaz to rely on his own strength

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday asked PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to rely on his own strength and popularity in the next elections instead of backing the ‘powerful circles’ to ensure his party’s victory.

"Even in Punjab, people rejected you [Nawaz],” Bilawal said while addressing a news conference in Quetta at the end of this three-day visit to the provincial capital of Balochistan.

"Don’t behave like a king and let's work for the country and democracy,” he added.

Bilawal, whose party, the, PPP was a coalition partner in the previous PML-N-led set-up and recently developed a rivalry with its former ally after alleging that it had a discreet pact with the current interim set-up, also said he would follow his own ideology and manifesto during the polls.

Taking a jibe at the PML-N supremo, he continued that Nawaz too should contest the next elections on the basis of his ideology and mandate instead of the “administration”.

Bilawal pointed out that “selected” governments had always failed in the country and this was what his party had learnt from the past.

“Let the people decide about their fate in the upcoming elections,” he demanded.

Bilawal urged Nawaz as well as his party to respect the voters and avoid playing what he described as “old games”.

“It is not possible that the entire Pakistan is told in 2018 that ‘Khan is your messiah and you have to solely support him because the rest are bad.’ Then in 2023, somebody else arrives and ‘he is the angel while the rest are bad’,” he added, without naming the ‘powerful circles’.

The PPP chairman said political parties could deliver even after the elections and regain their lost space.

He said his party believed in the support of the masses.

Bilawal reiterated that the PPP wanted all institutions to perform their duties as per the Constitution and law.

Read also: Bilawal scoffs at Nawaz's fourth shot at power

The PPP chairman regretted that the PML-N still believed in pursuing the “politics of revenge” and pointed out how the party, after coming into power, had tried to roll back the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

He also maintained that plans were being devised in Raiwind – the Sharif family residence -- to take over Sindh. However, he added that these plans would not succeed as those who were not even popular in their stronghold of Lahore should not consider eyeing Sindh and Balochistan.

The PPP chairman maintained that he sought consensus-based politics instead of resorting to confrontation.

He added that he wanted a system where all decisions were made and implemented with the consensus of all political parties and institutions.

Bilawal demanded a level playing field for all political parties in the country, rather than a specific one. "We will give you a surprise on February 8 [the date announced for the general elections],” he concluded.