Bilawal dismisses ‘polls delay’ notion

PPP chief visits NA-127 constituency; says Feb 8 date for elections is set in stone

LAHORE:

Dismissing Senate’s bid to delay polls, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday declared that the Feb 8 vote was cast in iron, pledging that the his party would contest the upcoming elections to defeat the selection.

During his visit to different areas of NA-127, Lahore, from where he is contesting the elections, he stressed that the PPP represented every strata of the society and believed in inclusive politics.

He added that the PPP's 10-point agenda would redress the issues facing the masses.
Bilawal dismissed the Senate resolution, which was passed on Friday.

The resolution had demanded postponement of the elections because of inclement weather and a deteriorating law and order situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

“Doesn’t matter if the resolution is passed by the United Nations or the OIC (Orgnaization of Islamic Cooperation), the Election Commission (of Pakistan) and Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa have said that election will be held on February 8,” he said.

“We are with Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The elections are set in stone,” he continued. “Now that the elections have been announced, I don’t want to waste my time complaining about the level-playing field. My focus now is only on the elections,” he added.

Bilawal visited various churches in Bihar Colony and spoke to the media.

Those who accompanied the PPP chairman included Chaudhry Manzoor, Zulfiqar Badr, Qasim Gilani, Faisal Mir, Aslam Gill, Amjad Hussain, Imran Athwal, Naseem Sahutra, Edwin Sahutra, Pastor Williamson and others.

Bilawal said that the PPP was defamed under a conspiracy in the past and an impression was given “on the television that rivers of milk and honey flow in Lahore”, adding that he, however, witnessed that the city needed ample development work.

“People from every strata of the society live here but the government always represented the elite. Now, I have come back. Insha’Allah, I will contest the selection in this election and old politics and politicians will be replaced by new politics,” he said.

Read Bilawal launches election campaign from Lahore

Criticising the rival parities, he emphasised that only the PPP believed in the politics of equality, adding that that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was fighting to save Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to save its founding chairman.

“Only the Peoples Party is fighting the elections for the people,” he said, adding that he chose Lahore for his election seat, “so that the Peoples Party can change the destiny of this city, province, and country as I am with you and will always be”.

“The PPP has always represented the downtrodden, which is why its leadership and workers have been targeted and martyred so that other parties can fill the vacuum created. The PPP governor sacrificed his life and my brother Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti was martyred, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Faisal Mir said that the party would defeat the Sharif family in the elections.
Bishop Naeem Parshad assured that they would make the PPP successful in every constituency.

On the occasion, Bilawal was presented a copy of the Bible and he cut a Christmas cake.

Bilawal took the tour of the constutency to meet his electorate. From Kot Lakhpat, he reached Grace Assemblies of Pakistan Church after passing through different streets of Bihar Colony.

The local residents greeted Bilawal by showering rose petals on him.

After meeting Bishop Naeem Parshad, Bilawal also visited the residence of Pastor Anwar Fazal of the Eternal Life Church at Modern Colony.

He assured Pastor Fazal of resolving the issues facing the Christian community.