ISLAMABAD   -  Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday said that there was a big chance of joint opposition movement against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government.

Speaking to journalists here, Bilawal said the PPP was ready to cooperate with all the parties to oust the ‘incompetent’ rulers.

“There is high probability of the opposition working together now that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has come to the same conclusion that PPP had reached earlier, which was the no-confidence motion against the prime minister. If the PDM is ready to retreat on its stance on resignations and adopts my view on the no-confidence, we can certainly work together. All parties have to play their role. We have to dislodge the government, no matter the number of marches,” he said.

Bilawal said the PPP’s reservation regarding the prices of essential commodities being multiplied due to the mini-budget has been proven correct.

“Pakistan had already been facing an economic crisis before the mini-budget, which has now led to historic price hike, unemployment and poverty. The people are being crushed under this burden,” he added.

He said the PPP has already decided that it will take to the streets against this ‘incapable government’ and will start the long march from Karachi on February 27.

“We can never resort to undemocratic practices. My demand from the first day was to bring a no-confidence motion against this government. The government should be dislodged through democratic means. We will pass through the constituencies of their MNAs (Members of the National Assembly) and allies, and show them the demand of the people, which is to be liberated from the tyranny in this ‘new’ Pakistan,” he contended.

Bilawal said whenever the PPP had launched a long march against the incumbent government, the latter has panicked.

“The bill regarding the State Bank of Pakistan was bulldozed at around midnight, counting was not done, our amendments were not heard. This is the biggest economic attack on the country in its history. After this legislation, the State Bank is not answerable to the government, parliament, judiciary and the people. Rather, it will be run on the dictation of international financial institutions,” he maintained.

He claimed the account of the country’s defence budget will be in the State Bank and the government, parliament or the judiciary will have no control over it.

“Our defence expenditure would be for the world to see and the nuclear programme will be threatened. This government has attacked our economic sovereignty and democratic liberties. Regarding the presidential system, he said that history is witness to the fact that our country has been dismembered under this system,” he said.

Bilawal said the people have responded enthusiastically to “our calls in South Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other places. The attendance at martyrdom anniversary of Benazir Bhutto was the greatest in history.”

He said the first phase of the local bodies’ elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the referendum against this government. “All the opposition parties outperformed the PTI in those elections,” he mentioned.

Regarding extremism, Bilawal said that there was a false dichotomy in the country. “Islam does not allow for women and children to be killed,” he said.