LAHORE - PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Sunday said that no grand alliance of opposition parties was in the making.
“PPP alone could do the opposition’s role,” he said while talking to the media at the residence of ex-PPP MNA Shakeela Rashid where he had gone to condole her death with the bereaved family.
In the wake of recent meeting between Asif Ali Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Bilawal was asked if the two leaders had met to discuss the possibility of a grand alliance of opposition parties.
“The meeting between Asif Ali Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a routine matter as they keep meeting frequently to discuss political issues,” the PPP chairman said.
Bilawal, however, also said that Asif Ali Zardari had the guts to unite all the political forces at a single platform. “PPP will do whatever it can to keep the opposition united,” he added.
Bilawal said his party would give tough time to political opponents [in elections]. “They cannot compete against us in elections,” he affirmed.
Answering a question about JIT report, Bilawal termed it fake devoid of any substance. “We don’t accept this report as NAB is working against PPP leadership on the pressure of the government,” he maintained, adding that the government was targeting the political opponents while exerting pressure on the institutions.
He suspected that certain powers which he did not name wanted to malign the party. He said PPP leadership was not afraid of threats. “I have been facing jails since the age of one,” he added.
The PPP chairman said that there was nothing new in the fresh allegations against the PPP as all this was also happening before in the life-time of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.
“Asif Ali Zardari was imprisoned for 11 years without any crime being proved against him. Character assassination of Asif Ali Zardari was also done in the past but all cases against him proved fake. The JIT report did not include the version of Asif Ali Zardari,” he complained.
He made it clear that the PPP will never compromise over the rules set by the party founder ZA Bhutto. “PPP will respond legally to legal issues and react politically to political issues,” he said, alleging that the government wanted to use courts for political engineering.
“We are politicians. We will not accept any pressure. Put our entire family in the prison. It will not frighten us at all,” he observed.
The PPP chairman came down hard on the government saying he had never seen such incompetent rulers before. He lamented that the country was facing worst loadshedding even in winter. Bilawal also criticised the government for its failure to improve the economy.
The PPP chairman also bashed Sheikh Rashid and advised him to concentrate on his ministry. “Who would run the trains if he indulged in petty politics,” Bilawal asked.
Meanwhile, film actor Moammar Rana called on Bilawal Bhutto at Bilawal House on Sunday and announced to join the PPP.
Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal said that space for entertainment in the country was being squeezed while film industry was facing crisis-like situation. “It should be given the status of an industry,” he said.