KARACHI - PPP chairman Bilawal Zardari on Sunday said that his party would respond to every criticism from the political opponents during a public gathering on October 18 in Karachi.
Giving his response to PTI chairman Imran Khan's criticism, Bilawal, through a social media website, said that they could not afford establishment test-tube politicians to dominated narrative. "We’ll restart and respond to opponents’ criticism at the PPP’s October 18 public gathering," he said. He said he believed that it was no time for politics and all the politicians should focus on flood relief-related activities and internally displaced people (IDPs).  Bilawal said when the armed forces initiated Operation Zarb-e-Azb, he had called for ceasefire between the politicians. "I was the only politician who called for ceasefire and stuck to it," he said.
Earlier, in his statement on the occasion of International Day for Peace being observed across the globe on Sunday, Bilawal said that a democratic Pakistan would contribute far better and effective role in the world peace; therefore all the stakeholders aspiring for the international peace should supplement the efforts for strengthening democracy. He stressed on the developed world to make a pledge that they won’t adopt the dictators of third world countries as their lap-pets.
“Authoritarianism, dictatorship and states that perpetuate inequality amongst its citizens breed terrorism. Hence to curb terrorism and eventually eliminate it, the international community has to help countries free themselves from perpetual poverty and dictatorial rule. Democracy is the only weapon that can defeat terrorism and establish world peace,” the PPP leader said.
Talking to The Nation, PPP Sindh spokesman Saeed Ghani said that Imran Khan was not able to cater much public support from Sindh; therefore, he was trying to lessen his frustration through criticism on leaders having political backing in the province. He said that Imran's criticism on PPP leaders was not new as he did the same thing before general elections 2013 but failed to grab public attention.
He said that the PPP would hold massive public rally to show its political strength. "The PTI was not able to gather much public as it was hyped and the PPP's public gathering would prove it," he said.