Opposition to work together: Bilawal Bhutto

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that there is high probability of the opposition working together now that the PDM has come to the same conclusion that PPP had reached earlier, which was of the no-confidence.

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.

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that our reservation regarding the prices of essential commodities being multiplied due to the mini-budget has been proved 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. 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 27 February. 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 and allies and show them the demand of the people, which is to be liberated from the tyrrany of this new Pakistan. Whenever the PPP has launched a long march against the incumbent government, the latter has been harmed. The bill regarding the State Bank of Pakistan was bulldozed at around midnight, counting was not done, our amendments were not heard. This was 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. The account of our 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.

The constitution of the Quaid-e-Awam has given a federal, democratic and parliamentary Islamic republic to the nation. There is no space for a presidential system in the constitution. Talking about the presidential system is an effort to distract the people from the price-hike, unemployment, poverty and agricultural crisis. PPP has always maintained the respect of the country in the international community. During the Salalah incident, we had discontinued the NATO supply and demanded an apology from the United States. For the first time in history, a superpower had apologized to an elected government and its people. The people always come first for a true, elected government of the people as was the case with Quaid-e-Awam, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. PPP’s government in the future will follow the same precedent.

The people have responded enthusiastically to our calls in South Punjab, KP and other places. The attendance at martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was the greatest in history.

The first phase of the local body elections in KP was the referendum against this government. All the opposition parties outperformed the PTI in those elections.

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