Opposition barbs: PML-N rebukes Bilawal for ‘devoid of vision’ speech

Father, son, and their party disappointed nation: Iqbal.

ISLAMABAD:

Demanding that the government immediately announce an election date, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership on Friday slammed Pakistan Peoples Party over its five-year governance and its young chairman over his “devoid of vision” career launching speech.

Ahsan Iqbal, a senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari sounded more like an opposition party leader than a ruling one. “The father (President Asif Ali Zardari) and son (Bilawal) failed to tell people about the performance of their party over the last five years,” said Iqbal.

Iqbal, the PML-N member of National Assembly, said people were looking forward to President Zardari revealing Benazir Bhutto’s killers as he himself had claimed he knew them. Instead he shifted the blame for his own failing to the judiciary while security agencies were under the executive, said the PML-N leader.

“Zardari and company in fact forged an alliance with the very people (PML-Q) whom BB herself suspected would kill her. The other killer she suspected (former president Pervez Musharraf) was easily allowed to go abroad by the PPP government itself,” said the N-League leader.

Disappointment

Iqbal added that the whole nation was hoping young Bilawal would apprise them on PPP’s five year performance in ‘good governance’ but he disappointed them. His speech proved that he had nothing to take credit of and also lacked a vision for Pakistan. The entire show by the PPP on December 27 illustrated that it could be best in opposition, said the PML-N leader.

“The PPP’s DNA is that of an opposition party and in the upcoming elections, voters would put them in their rightful place,” said Iqbal. He added that launching an under-25 person as a ruling party’s leader was a “joke with the nation”. It was Bilawal’s democratic right but he should first do apprenticeship, gain experience and then think of leading a party. “He cannot yet even contest elections,” said Iqbal.



Zardari’s return would be fatal

Dr Tahirul Qadri-MQM union was a “conspiracy to sabotage elections,” Iqbal said, adding his party would not allow the two foreign nationals to hijack democratic transition through elections.

“One is a UK national (Altaf Hussain), the other is a Canadian (Tahirul Qadri), what good would they do to the people of Pakistan,” said the PML-N parliamentarian. The people were aware of the intentions of Qadri and Zardari’s ally MQM, he added. However, he said the conspiring forces were both domestic and foreign.

In the given background Iqbal asked the government to announce a date for general elections to end all doubts. Asked if his party would also need alliances with parties like MQM for getting in power, the N-League leader said two things: Zardari’s return and a hung parliament would be fatal for Pakistan.

“This country needs a strong majority government and we are hopeful that people would make us one in the upcoming elections by giving us a huge mandate,” said Iqbal. He questioned Qadri’s timing for return to Pakistan. “Why now? Why not six or twelve months back if he wanted to bring about constructive reforms,” questioned the PML-N leader rhetorically.

The PML-N member of National Assembly and former secretary information said his party would emerge victor despite all conspiracies. PML-N will announce its manifesto on January 5, 2013.

Former ambassador and a PPP supporter BA Malik announced joining the PML-N on the occasion. He said the PPP that he remained associated with for over 40 years was no longer Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s or BB’s party. “It was hijacked by Zardari and company and that was the reason I have decided to leave it,” said Malik.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2012.