GARHI KHUDA BAKHSH - PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday vowed to fight his political opponents “in court and everywhere else” soon after it emerged that his name could be placed on the exit control list (ECL).

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced on Thursday that the federal cabinet has decided to place on the ECL all 172 suspects named in a joint investigation team’s report in the fake bank accounts case.

Ex-President Asif Zardari is one of those named in the hard-hitting JIT report, which was submitted in the Supreme Court a couple of days ago.

Shortly after the government pronouncement the PPP leader went on the offensive saying: “Today, the thugs of Ladla [the blue-eyed] have challenged us. We are not afraid of their tactics.”

Ladla is a reference frequently used by Pakistan Peoples Party leaders for Prime Minister Imran Khan, whom they consider a protégé of the establishment.

Speaking on the occasion of 11th death anniversary of his slain wife and former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh, he said that he faced the rivals in the past and will do so in future.

“They [PTI leaders] have started to sound like a broken record… Apart from uttering gibberish on television, they don’t know what to do,” he remarked.

PPP co-chairman said that his party would single-handedly fight against all the powers that have aligned against them and they were not afraid of any of them.

“As far as Bilawal [Bhutto] is concerned, he is mine and BB’s son: how can you scare him?” Zardari asked. “We are all Bhutos and we are ready to fight them on every front including the courts,” he added.

 

Zardari criticised the PTI government claiming that they pale in comparison to the performance of the PPP government.

“They did nothing in their 100 days,” he said, adding that “those who know how to work know that 100 days are more than enough [to show performance].”

He reminded the party supporters that he had ousted General Musharraf and “launched the Benazir [Income Support Programme] card” in first 100 days of PPP government.

In reference to the financial crisis Pakistan is facing, he said the PTI government “will be unable to run the country despite foreign support by friendly countries”.

In his message issued earlier on the eve of Benazir’s death anniversary, PPP Co-chairman said they were committed to philosophy of Benazir Bhutto.

PPP stands by constitution, democracy and philosophy of human freedom steadfastly, he said, adding that they will continue to put up resistance against terrorism and extremism.

“We will not compromise on independent and powerful parliament. We will follow the principles of patience and tolerance unwaveringly. PPP will continue to safeguard the rights of marginalised sections of society,” Zardari added.

 

 

Bilawal follows in father’s footsteps

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, after paying homage to his late mother, echoed his father’s sentiments as he too promised to “fight the lies and controversies” against his family.

He questioned why “opposition is the sole target” of the ongoing accountability drive in the country. “Why are federal ministers and the prime minister and his family are above the law?”

He added that “these people cannot frighten me with so called and one-sided accountability. We have seen [people like] Musharraf, Saifur Rehman and Ziaul Haq.”

Bilawal labelled the JIT report a pack of lies, saying that it was an attempt to misguide the courts. He claimed that it would not hold in the court where it “would be thrown in the trash can”.

“We hope that the courts will discard the misleading report… Neither the public nor I accept the report,” said the PPP chairman.

The PPP leader launched a staunch defence of his father, saying to the party workers that the PPP co-chairperson had been acquitted in all past cases against him.

He said that if the institutions are investigating the benami accounts then they should also investigate ‘the benami prime minister’.

“I want to send this message to all the powers that I will fight your conspiracies, I will fight your arrogance,” said Bilawal.

He said in his life he counts Jiyalas (PPP workers) as his biggest asset. Bilawal said that on this fateful day, his mother was taken away from him.

 

 

‘Weak federation’

The PPP leader wondered if Prime Minister Imran Khan is aware “how weak the federation’s foundations are right now”, warning that “a single spark can turn everything into a heap of ash.”

“It seems that the reservations of Sindh are being thrown in the garbage bin, but those in power seem to be least concerned [about it],” he said.

The PPP chairman alleged that the “the puppet” prime minister” has been brought in to reintroduce the one-unit system in the country.

He also said that the new government wants to put an end to the 18th amendment in the constitution.

“The country’s rein has been handed to an inexperienced PM today,” Bilawal said. “He has drowned the public in a sea of inflation within his first 100 days. He has brought the economy to a point from where there is no return.”