Executive committee meeting: Bilawal to kick off political career on Oct 18
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is set to officially kick off his political career with a massive rally on October 18 in Karachi, party leaders announced on Monday.
“The party has decided to organise a big public gathering at the Mazar-e-Quaid to commemorate the attack on Benazir Bhutto’s caravan upon her return to the country in 2007,” PPP leader and former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani told reporters after a meeting of the party’s central executive committee (CEC) at Bilawal House, Karachi.
“Bilawal, being the chairman of the party, will address the gathering and pick up the struggle to strengthen democracy and institutions from where it was left off by his mother,” he said. “All of us, who were with Benazir in her struggle, will stand by this young leader to reinforce the democratic dispensation in the country,” added Gilani who was flanked by other senior PPP leaders, including Khursheed Shah, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Qaim Ali Shah.
“PPP will flourish once again under Bilawal’s leadership, because he is the true representative of the country’s youth.”
Gilani’s comments were the first formal announcement about the much-touted launch of Bilawal’s political career. It came a day after the young PPP chairman apologised to party sympathisers for ‘mistakes committed in the past’.
“Bilawal wants to bring back all enraged PPP leaders. He has acknowledged the mistakes the party made in the past and realising that, he wants to reform and reorganise the party,” Gilani said at the press briefing. He added that old stalwarts who wished to rejoin PPP would be accommodated by the party leadership on various positions.
Talking about the CEC meeting at Bilawal House, Gilani said it had a single agenda – organising the October 18 rally to commemorate the Karsaz attack.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the planned gathering would be ‘historic’ and claimed PPP was still largest party in the country with strong roots in all four provinces along with Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
“Our young leadership, which is a reflection of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, will now take over party affairs,” he said. “Bilawal will now step into the arena and start his political innings with the aim of reviving the mission envisaged by his grandfather and carried forward by his mother.”
Talking to The Express Tribune, sources in PPP said Bilawal has formed different committees to ensure the success of the October 18 rally. “We must show our actual strength at the gathering,” a source quoted Bilawal as saying.
Meanwhile, Gilani defended his party against allegations of being a ‘friendly opposition’ in parliament. “We are the actual opposition… PPP has always played the role of responsible opposition in parliament,” he said.
Talking about the PPP government’s performance, he said, “We worked hard and generated 3,400MW of electricity.”
“We could have done much more, but obstacles were created in our way to develop Pakistan,” Gilani added.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2014.
COMMENTS (11)
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why media is highlighting such non serious issues,, media is biased toward these dynasties, the are afraid of them..
@Roni: Go to Larkana and see what Bhuttos have done for their own people. You are so naive.
@bajwa: Just saying, why Jinnah’s photo is smaller than Benazir’s? In my opinion these two photos should swap their spots and sizes with each other. In case you don't know or chose to ignore, for Bilawal his mother is more honorable than any politician in the world. Hate is only going to make you more bitter not better.
A young Bilawal is status quo but a lifetime party chief IK in his mid sixties is new and revolutionary leader? Pakistan is 70% rural and IK has no chance in Pakistani heartland at all. Only the youngsters who want to rebel and punish their parents and grandparents are coming out for the lifestyle of likes of IK. Most mature Pakistanis understand when a man cannot take care of his own daughter and sons how can he take care of our daughters and be a role model? It is not surprising that IK is most popular in Pakistani youths living in the US and elites of urban areas of Pakistan..
Just saying, why Jinnah's photo is smaller than Benazir's? In my opinion these two photos should swap their spots and sizes with each other.
old wine in a new bottle...this the fate of people of Pakistan....
What a joke.
So how many times is the baby going to 'start' his political career....lol. Every time he tries to start it it' a non-starter......the problem is not in the starting, the problem is with his 'engine'....:)))
There we go again, when will the people ever wake up to discard this dynastic political party and family. Do they really think that they own the country and could hood wink them into voting for them again, don't they see the change taking place. I see in the above picture, almost all of them has been corrupt up to their necks and they want to come back and struggle for what, to make more fortunes on the backs of this unfortunate nation called Pakistanis. This guy Bilawal never did an honest work in his life for living like majority of Pakistanis are doing and facing difficulties providing food, shelter and education for their families. How could he even understand their plight , he was born with a silver foot in his mouth and that was earned through corrupt means. Did he ever dirty his hands, volunteering to work for hospitals, schools. orphanages or any other civic institutions. The young generation in Pakistan wants change for the best and are fed up with these corrupt families and parties and want to discard these dynastic parties and their chairmen and the rest.This country of Pakistan is not their fiefdoms any more and they better start believing and understanding it, they can't use worn our slogans or use their royal ancestry any more.
Yep, ready to take the ride. Wondering if 20 million mules are ready or not?
The so called stalwarts taking dictation from under 30 kid. A perfect example of dynastic politics then they talk about democracy. Shame on all these and the media for highlighting such disgraceful people.