JACOBABAD /SUKKUR/KARACHI  -  Pakistan Peoples Par­ty (PPP) Chairman Bilaw­al Bhutto Zardari Saturday said that the biggest prob­lem of the country at the moment is inflation, and the people are looking to­wards politicians to solve their problems. He also urged the Election Commis­sion Pakistan (ECP) and the caretaker government to put the public interest first and not that of any party.

According to a press re­lease issued by Media Cell Bilawal House, while talking to the media after condoling the death of for­mer provincial minister Mir Ai­jaz Hussain Jakhrani’s aunt and former provincial minister Mir Mumtaz Jakhrani’s mother, the PPP chairman said that the his party’s previous provincial gov­ernment in Sindh had given all possible support to the flood vic­tims. He said that flood victims in Sindh are being given the owner­ship rights of the plots along with construction of pakka houses. “Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had promised the ‘Rotti, Kapra Aur Makan’ (bread, cloths and shel­ter), we are fulfilling that prom­ise,” he added.

Bilawal said that Pakistan had been badly affected by cli­mate change, adding that there is a need to invest in infrastruc­ture and agriculture and his party will take steps in this re­gard after winning the upcom­ing general elections. He said that South Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also been affected by the floods last year, but nothing has been done to help the flood victims there. “We will definitely ex­pand the projects that have been started only for the flood victims of Sindh to other prov­inces,” he vowed.

In response to a question asked by a journalist, the PPP chairman said that his party is always ready for elections, and it is the only party that wants general elections to be held ear­ly in the country, so that it can serve to people. He furthered that every democratic politi­cian understands that elections are the solution to all problems, adding that he did not expect such a statement from a politi­cian like Maulana Fazlur Reh­man that he would talk about delaying the elections. “We hope that the voters of Pakistan will get the right to elect their rep­resentatives as soon as possible. When the representatives go to the Parliament, they get the le­gal authority to solve the prob­lems of the people,” he added and contended that even if the caretaker government wants to, it cannot give relief to the peo­ple, because it has neither the powers nor the space and legit­imacy.

Bilawal said that the devel­opment schemes in Sindh have been halted due to stubborn­ness. He urged that the ECP and the caretaker government should prioritize the interests of the people and not any par­ty. “I am winning the election, (and) I will come and carry for­ward these development proj­ects,” he announced.

In response to a question re­garding Mian Nawaz Shar­if’s return to Pakistan, Chair­man Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PPP has always main­tained that PML-N chief should return to the country. He said that the activities on behalf of the PML-N regarding the re­turn of their leader, as they should be, are not so visible, adding that the PML-N minis­ters who were with us (in coali­tion government) are no longer visible. He said that when Sha­heed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto announced to return home on October 18, 2007, the enthusi­astic workers of PPP had inten­sified their activities across the country. But now that Nawaz Sharif is coming back, that spir­it of PML-N is not visible.” The PPP chairman said that the caretaker government is facing difficulties, when there is an elected government, there will be no such difficulties. He said that he regrets the situation the caretaker PM faced regard­ing the meetings in the United Nations. If there is an elected leadership, such situations do not have to be faced.

In response to a question about PTI, he said that until the leaders of May 9 are fixed, the talks with PTI are not possible.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, commenting on the is­sue of not giving visas to Pa­kistani cricket fans and sports journalists, said that when he was the foreign minister, he de­cided to send the Pakistani crick­et team to India because Paki­stan is not afraid of competition, India has given our players visas reluctantly, now India is show­ing fear by not issuing visa to Pa­kistani cricket fans and sports journalists. I trust Pakistan cricket team to play well and re­turn from India successfully.

Pakistan’s former foreign min­ister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari ex­pressed full solidarity with the Palestinian people and said that the Palestine issue is a global is­sue, and as the foreign minister, he had raised his voice for Pal­estine at every forum.

Meanwhile, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condoled former MPA Aslam Abro in Jacobabad for the tragic killings of his brother Akram Abro and nephew Shahr­yar Abro. Earlier, Chairman Bila­wal Bhutto Zardari condoled the death of former Member of Sindh Assembly Sardar Manzoor Ali Khan Panhwer with his sons Mir Aurangzeb Khan Panhwer and Sardar Changez Khan Panhwer.