Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took the ruling ally, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, to task on Saturday for making unilateral decisions despite lacking the electoral mandate to back such moves.
The PPP chairman, whose party is in alliance with the PML-N at the federal level, alleged that the government acts as if it enjoys a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, exempt from consulting anyone.
"But the ground realities suggest otherwise," he said while addressing a press conference in Larkana.
He reminded the ruling party that its parliamentary strength does not mirror the two-thirds majority it enjoyed in the 1990s. "Today, their mandate is to take all allied parties on board for collective decision-making."
Bilawal also lambasted the PML-N government for riding roughshod over provincial concerns, particularly Sindh's objections to six proposed canals on the Indus River.
He pointed out that decisions were not only arbitrary but controversial as they violated the fundamental rights of water, accusing the government of violating the IRSA Act and Water Accord 1991 while ignoring objections raised by Sindh.
Regarding the proposed construction of six new canals on the Indus River, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari lamented that despite Sindh's formal objections, the government has chosen to disregard them.
"There was a time when someone [former prime minister Nawaz Sharif] decided to build the Kalabagh Dam, but tell me, where is that dam today?" he remarked.
He argued that the planning for these canals was as controversial and unilateral as the Kalabagh Dam was, adding that other political parties throwing their weight behind the government also disapproved of its one-sided approach.
He recalled that the PPP helped the PML-N elect its prime minister based on an assurance of equitable financial support for all provinces. However, he expressed regret that the agreement was not being implemented properly.
However, he hoped that the PPP's concerns would be addressed through meaningful dialogue, which he sees as essential for resolving provincial grievances.
Digital woes
Bilawal also slammed the government's handling of digital rights, deploring its decision to slow down internet speeds and restrict access in some areas. Instead of these regressive steps, he stressed the need to provide high-speed internet and expand connectivity to currently underserved regions.
He chastised the PML-N for prioritizing motorways and metros, which he acknowledged as essential infrastructure in the 1990s but argued that the current digital age demands a focus on digital infrastructure.
"You slowed down the internet without consulting anyone, and that too in a country where 70% of the population is under 30 years of age," he stressed.
"So, one decision of yours has alienated 70% of the population. You've done it, but I won't."
The Bhutto scion also raised alarm over recent Western attention on Pakistan's missile technology, noting that some foreign politicians, who had previously commented on Pakistan's internal politics, have now shifted focus to its missile technology.
He expressed scepticism over support for PTI Chairman Imran Khan from quarters that consistently back Israel.
"This is why I demanded yesterday [at PPP's December 27 public meeting] that he [Khan] should not only condemn those countries but also the individuals who, on one hand, express support for him and, on the other, oppose Pakistan's atomic and missile programs," he said.
Bilawal reiterated that Pakistan is the only Muslim nation to possess such advanced weapons technology, which he claimed the West is eager to see dismantled.
He credited his grandfather, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, and his mother, Benazir Bhutto, for gifting Pakistan nuclear power and missile technology. "I don't need to remind you; it's part of history. The sacrifices for this achievement were borne by the martyrs buried in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh," he said, referring to his grandfather and mother.
He stressed the need to take the nation into confidence on this sensitive issue, urging unity among political parties to thwart conspirators seeking to exploit internal divisions.
He also criticised PTI for shifting its stance on foreign relations, citing its accusations against the US and later Saudi Arabia for allegedly toppling its government in 2022.
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