Bilawal Bhutto for federal, provincial patronage to improve athletics, sports for youth

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Member National Assembly (MNA) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday urged the House to pave road map to ensure federal and provincial governments’ level patronage to improve athletics and sports facilities for the youth to produce more successful athletes like Arshad Nadeem.

Speaking at the National Assembly eighth session’s fifth meeting here at the Parliament House, the PPP Chairman welcomed the chief guest Imam Masjid-e-Nabawi (PBUH), Sheikh Dr Salah bin Muhammad Al Budair, Saudi Ambassador, Nawaf Bin Saeed Al Malaki and appreciated the Imam’s awe aspiring recitation of the Holy Quran.

Bilawal Bhutto also congratulated Athlete Arshad Nadeem for his victory in the Paris Olympics 2024.

“He made the impossible possible through his struggle and broke the world record. He brought gold medal for the nation and it’s the proof that when the youth of Pakistan is given an opportunity they bring laurels to the nation and do the formidable tasks,” he said.

He urged that this house must have the consensus that the children who have the capacity to outshine in all games should be given proper facilities and opportunities.

“Layari in Karachi has every child an accomplished footballer. Girls from Dera Ismail Khan are winning black belts in taekwondo without the patronage of the government. Neither federal nor provincial governments are supporting sportsmen. We should pledge that all provinces and the federation should join hands to establish endowment fund for sports so that talent hunt, training, support and promotion should be done to produce Arshad Nadeem from all provinces in Olympics,” Bilawal Bhutto demanded at the floor of the House.

Pakistan has great opportunity, talent in youth, whereas skills of its labourers had turned deserts in the Middle East to great cities, he said.

“We are a country from mountains to coasts blessed with all resources,” he added.

Taking the discourse to the political side, Chairman PPP, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the federal capital was formed only to serve the nation as it has no other history and purpose.

Since this city was established, the political leaders have been doing politics for generations but they have not been serving the purpose of national service but rather started conspiracies, leg pulling and paving the way for dictatorial coups that weakened the democracy, he added.

“There has been unprecedented politics of hatred and division in the country and due to it the nation is facing inflation, poverty and economic crisis,” he said.

Bilawal added that the law and order situation was aggravating across the country and the political leadership was unable to meet minimum consensus in the House to fight terrorism and other crises.

“We must chalk out a roadmap to fight our political fights within the political limits and bring minimum consensus on issues of extreme national interest and significance,” he said.

He commented on the Bangladesh crisis and said the entire region should learn from its experience that the politicians should give importance to the public issues.

The PPP Chairman underlined that the country and its institutions would have to uphold their professional duties and responsibilities as per the constitution other then they cannot function properly and serve the due purpose of national service.

He urged the political parties in the House to engage with each other for coping with pressing issues like security and other matters.