PPP chairman claims no resolution by Senate, UN or OIC can delay general elections since CJP’s has issued orders n Says he failed to witness canals of milk and honey in Lahore n Hamid Saeed Kazmi meets Asif Zardari in Multan.

ISLAMABAD  -   Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while talking to reporters in Lahore on Saturday said that a perception is given on the television that Lahore has canals of milk and honey whereas in my tours, I have witnessed that the city needs ample work”. He said that people from every strata of the society live here but the government always represents the elite.

Bilawal said that the PPP represents every strata of the society and believes in inclusive politics. The PPP’s 10-point agenda will be able to eradicate issues such as unemployment, poverty and inflation. For this, we need the support of the people.

Responding to questions by the journalists, Chairman Bilawal said that the elections are to be held on 8 February and no resolution by the Senate, United Nations or OIC can delay it. The Chief Justice has said that 8 February is written in the stone as the polling day and InshaAllah elections will be held on 8 February. The people will exercise their right to vote. The PPP should be given a chance so that the issues of the people are solved.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the PPP has contested elections in very difficult circumstances. Those who are complaining about rejection of their nomination papers should know that in 2013 more nomination papers were re­jected than now. Our demand has been for free and fair elec­tions. We have 10-point agenda and believe that the people will support us. The PPP was found­ed in this city, Lahore. Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had chosen this city to land after returning to the country from exile in 1986. The PPP workers were arrested in this city and they self-immolated after the martyrdom of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in protest. It is the right of the PPP to have a claim on this city. An­ti-democratic people like Gen­eral Zia and General Hameed Gul imposed other political par­ties in this province just to keep the PPP out of this province. The PPP thinks that Lahore be­longs to us and this is the reason that we are starting the election campaign from this city. We are ready to contest elections and want to revive the relation with this city which we had during the times of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtar­ma Benazir Bhutto, Chairman Bilawal said.

Chairman PPP responding to another question said that he was studying at the University of Oxford during the PPP gov­ernment of 2008-2013. The performance of this govern­ment was better than the gov­ernments in 2013 and 2018. The PPP’s economic policy, the alleviation of poverty, sup­port for the downtrodden, the right of the province were all the achievements of our gov­ernment in 2008-2013. She­hbaz Sharif was able to work because through the NFC, the PPP provided the required re­sources.

“I regret that Shehbaz Shar­if’s government did not repre­sent the youth, labourers and growers but the elite, industri­alists and business communi­ty”, Chairman Bilawal said. He further said that it is his right to struggle for the cause of the poor of this province. The PPP will be triumphant. The PPP always fulfilled the promises made in its manifestoes in the past. In 2007, Shaheed Mohtar­ma Benazir Bhutto had given a manifesto which was imple­mented during the Party’s gov­ernment in 2008-2013. We in­troduced the 18th Amendment in the Constitution as well as the Benazir Income Support Programme. Chairman Bilaw­al said that the promises made in Sindh were all implement­ed. The promises which were made to the flood victims are being fulfilled. We will fulfill all the promises made to the youth, labourers and growers in our 10-point manifesto. We have promised to double the income of the people in the next five years and give 300 units of electricity to the poor free-of-cost. Behind these as­pirations, we have got a strat­egy and the finances necessary. When the PPP comes to power, the people will reap the ben­efits of this 10-point agenda. Chairman Bilawal said that he is contesting the elections to see to it that his manifesto is implemented, while the PML-N’s intention to contest the elections is to help their lead­er avoid prison while the PTI is doing the same for its leader to be released from prison.

Earlier speaking at a church in Bahar Colony, in the constit­uency NA-127 Chairman Bila­wal said that his grandfather, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto laid the basis of the Pakistan Peoples Party in Lahore. Sha­heed Mohtarma Benazir Bhut­to too had chosen the city of La­hore to land when returning to the country from exile in 1986. Chairman PPP said that he has chosen to contest from Lahore so that the PPP can once again take ownership of the city and its people, as it has in the past. The PPP is the sole party that does not believe in the politics of hate and division. It believes in equality, and that is the very message it will be contesting the elections with. Chairman Bilawal said that he wishes to be the representative of the people so that we can convey to the entire world that there is a path separate from that tread­ed by the traditional politicians who believe in hate and divi­sion. We wish to play our role in helping the country prog­ress. He said that he has come to the people to ask for their support, as nothing can then be an obstacle for him. Chairman Bilawal said that he is of the people and will stay theirs, and will not let anyone harbour any ill-intentions towards them. “If anyone harbours any ill-inten­tions, then they would have to go through me. I stand shoul­der to shoulder with the peo­ple and will not allow for injus­tice to be meted out”, Chairman Bilawal resolved. The PPP has always represented the down­trodden, which is why its lead­ership and workers have been targeted and martyred so that other parties can fill the vacu­um created. “PPP’s governor sacrificed his life and my broth­er Shaheed Shahbaz Bhatti was martyred” Chairman Bilawal said. The PPP was deliberately distanced from Punjab as per a planned conspiracy, it was ma­ligned and attack. Chairman Bi­lawal said that he has returned to form a government of the people, and get the PPP its due rights. “It is our appeal from the people to represent me, like my advocates and ambassadors and to take the Party’s manifes­to to every doorstep”, Chairman Bilawal said. The people and the PPP will be victorious.

Chairman Bilawal toured his constituency during his elec­tion campaign and met with the people. He also visited dif­ferent churches in Bahar colo­ny and Modern colony. He also visited the residences of Pas­tor Anwer Fazal, Bishop Naeem Parshad and the head offices of the Isaac television in the con­stituency. The people including women and children came out of their houses to greet Chair­man Bilawal and at several plac­es showered rose petals on the campaigning party.

Meanwhile, President Paki­stan People Party Parliamentar­ian Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday met with ex-federal minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi and dis­cussed the political scenario for south Punjab, particularly Mul­tan, in the wake of upcoming general elections.

According to the party sourc­es, Ex-Prime Minister Syed Yu­suf Raza Gilani, Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, Khawaja Riz­wan Aalam, Mahmood Hayat Touchi Khan, Abdul Qadir Sha­heen and Ahmed Mujtuba Gilani were also present on this occa­sion. The leadership discussed various strategies to make the political campaigning process effective to convey the party’s message and manifesto to max­imum people across the region.

Z A BHUTTO REFERENCE

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Saturday submitted writ­ten comments to the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding the Zulifqar Ali Bhutto reference. 

A nine-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa will take up the presiden­tial reference about the mat­ter on Monday. The PPP, in its comments, has given referenc­es from various books and it also included the details of the interview of former chief jus­tice Naseem Hassan Shah. The top court would hear the ref­erence on January 8. The ref­erence was moved in 2011 by the then-president of Pakistan seeking to revisit the case.