LAHORE - Chairman Pakistan People’s Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has stressed the need to initiate political dialogue among political parties arguing that this is the only solution not only to bring down the political temperature but also political stability in the country. “If the political parties wouldn’t talk to each other, the problems would not be resolved,” stated Bilawal while addressing a seminar “Bhutto Reference and History” organised by the Peoples Information Bureau, PPP Central Punjab at Al-Hamra Hall here on Sunday.
Bilawal said that the judicial verdict by the Supreme Court in Bhutto reference was the result of long and hard struggle of the workers of the party and 30 years long similar struggle of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto. This reference was sent to the Supreme Court by President Asif Ali Zardari to get justice for Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
The court heard the case and came to conclusion that justice was not done to Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the trial against him was not just. “We consider this decision as historic and now when the court itself has admitted that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s punishment was wrong, we should carry out judicial reforms. The judiciary can also bring its own reforms but this is primarily the function of parliament,” he said.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that we had agreed on judicial reforms in the Charter of Democracy. The 90% CoD has been implemented but only 10% still remains to be implemented. We had to do these reforms including establishing a constitutional court and the procedure for appointment of judges. The PPP will try to bring these reforms so that the judiciary is strengthened and people are provided justice and injustice meted out to Quaid-e-Awam is not repeated,” he said.
Chairman Bilawal said, “At the moment we have politics of hatred in our society. We in our society do not respect the difference of opinion. Despite all this the PPP always believed in political negotiations and reconciliation. The 1973 Constitution was the result of consensus. The 18 amendment in the Constitution was done with consensus at the time of Asif Ali Zardari as President. We did all this by taking every political force in the parliament on board.”
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said that the people are troubled by price-hike, unemployment and poverty. In addition to these, terrorism is also an issue for the country and the people.
“If politicians do not talk to each other, how these issues could be resolved. President Zardari gave a message of reconciliation in his address to the joint Parliament but it was unfortunate that the people who do not want reconciliation made hue and cry. This behaviour was not appropriate in the Parliament.”
Bilawal said that during the recent general elections, the PPP had an ideology, a manifesto and a campaign. “We had our 10-point manifesto. The PPP has the solution of the issues of the people. Now after the elections, every government whether the federal government or the provincial governments are implementing the points of our manifesto,” he mentioned.
He also referred to the inaugural speech of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said that he (PM) had accepted that the ministries which are still with the federal governments have to be devolved. The PPP manifesto had given the idea of solar energy and now Punjab province is adopting that point of our manifesto and we should welcome this.
“When we announced to give ‘Kissan Card’ during election campaign, we were criticised but now the Punjab government will distribute the Kissan Card among farmers,” Bilawal remarked.