Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari won the hearts of the public following his maiden speech in the National Assembly on Friday.
Upon the election of Imran Khan as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan, the National Assembly took a chaotic turn with opposition parties creating a ruckus during the session. However, the PPP chief’s speech stood poles apart from the fiery dialogues delivered by Khan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif.
“I’d like to thank and congratulate the prime minister-select and wish him good luck,” he stated, in a jibe at Imran Khan.
Bilawal went on to touch upon subjects of press freedom as well saying: “We have lost freedom of press and human rights. There are challenges on economic fronts as we are drowning in debts. There are also challenges on foreign policy front.”
Addressing the prime minister-elect Imran Khan, he stated “While we congratulate you Mr. Speaker on being elected to your office, we pray that you will, in a bipartisan manner and an impartial manner together with all political parties , protect this house’s dignity and supremacy.
Another highlight of the speech was the young leader’s tribute to the martyred of the Quetta and the Mastung attacks saying: “I would like to pay tribute to all the victims of violence this election.
“We lose lives we never get back. The dead never get justice. The survivors never get answers. This must change Mr. Speaker,” he went on to add.
In reference to Khan’s fumed statements that made headlines in the past, Bilawal added “Along with congratulating the Prime Minister-elect I would also like to remind him that he is not the prime minister of a specific party. He is the Prime Minister of the entire Pakistan. He is the Prime Minister of every Pakistani. He is also the Prime Minister of those Pakistanis he called ‘zinda lashain’ [living corpses], He is also the Prime Minister of those Pakistanis he called donkeys. He is also the Prime Minister of those Pakistanis he referred to as ‘goats and sheep’.”
The mature and unruffled address was listened to by the entire parliament attentively, who had been in a muddled state during the first speech made by Imran Khan as Prime Minister Pakistan as well as the sermon by Shehbaz Shairf.
Social media was all praises for the 29-year-old leader’s poised and tranquil oration which they claimed appeared to be more settled than the ones made by veteran leaders in the parliament.