ISLAMABAD            -        Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari yesterday urged the federal government to ensure human rights. 

The PPP chief said the issues faced by the country cannot be solved until freedom of expression was not protected in Pakistan.

Speaking to the media persons after visiting journalist Matiullah Jan who was recently recovered after being kidnapped from Islamabad, Bilawal said that the kidnapping of Matiullah Jan and all such incidents were against basic human rights and the Constitution of Pakistan. 

“One can agree or disagree with the point of view of Matiullah Jan but no one can usurp his right to speak. We should debate on our difference of opinion. Such kidnappings are done by small people,” he said. The PPP chief said that his party had always fought for the rights of journalists and will continue to do so.

Bilawal said that Pakistan was a democratic Muslim country and “such attacks are in fact attacks on our democracy, freedom of Press and human rights.”

Bilawal said he had come to express solidarity with Matiullah Jan. “Whatever has been done to Matiullah Jan can be done to anyone, including you and I,” he added.

Separately, the central leaders of the PPP held a news conference in Islamabad and said that  July 25th 2018 the worst kind of political engineering had happened and “pygmies” were imposed in Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Information PPP Dr Nafisa Shah and Deputy Secretary Palwasha Khan said that the government was targeting the Opposition. Nazir Dhoki was also present.

Nafisa Shah recalled  the Chairman PPP in his first speech in the National assembly had called Prime Minister Imran Khan ‘selected’.

“They had come to power with a 100 day program but after 700 days, they have taken u-turn and nothing else. The Presidency is issuing ordinances and notifications. Osama Bin Laden is called a Shaheed and when they are asked questions in this regard Ehsanullah Ehsan threatens PPP leadership,” she said.

The PPP leader said that the wife of Justice Qazi Faez Isa is asked to present herself before the Federal Board of Revenue officials but “Zulfi Bukhari says that he is sorry that he could not file his tax returns.”

She added: “How Zulfi Bukhari is signing contracts in Dubai, they asked. The government is introducing an ordinance to protect Kulbhushan Jadhav.”

Nafisa Shah alleged the National Accountability Bureau is busy in political engineering and even the judiciary had mentioned political engineering in its verdict.

“NAB is arresting opposition politicians whereas the government members are free to roam about. Jahangir Tareen has fled the country and his name was not put on the ECL (Exit Control List),” she stated. She said the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf had claimed a lot but is doing nothing to give any relief to the people.

“The prices of oil, sugar and flour have been increased and the tariffs of electricity and gas bills are increased. The government has left the agriculture of the country on the mercy of locust,” she maintained, She said that PPP wanted a new law for accountability with consensus in which there was no political victimization and accountability is done across the board.

“The Chairman PPP is trying to hold the APC (All Parties Conference) but unfortunately Shahbaz Sharif’s health is deteriorating,” Nafisa Shah said.

Palwasha Khan said that three main ministries had been handed over to “imported” people.

“These imported people are laying off poor people of Pakistan. Zulfi Bukhari is illegally signing contracts in Dubai. Who has authorized him to sign these contracts,” she said.

The PPP leader said that thee Ministry of Water had been given to an American citizen.

“The advisor for finance Abdul Hafeez Sheikh is a partner in a company “New Silk” which is an Indian company,” Palwasha Khan pointed out.

The owner of Abraj Group, she alleged, was prime minister Imran Khan’s close friend.

Palwasha Khan asked to form a Joint Investigation Team on the issue of Raymond Davis so that the people know that who facilitated his escape.  “We demand the release of the people in NAB’s custody,” she said.