Those who joined 'mehengai league' will not remain ‘electables’ anymore: Bilawal

As political parties gear up for elections, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took a jibe at former ally Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), saying that those who joined the party would face adverse political repercussions in the future, Geo News reported Friday.

"Politicians who joined the 'Mehengai league' (inflation party) will not remain electable anymore [due to their decision]," Bilawal said while referring to the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif's Quetta visit which saw more than 30 key political entities joining the party's ranks ahead of upcoming general elections slated for February 8 next year.

Addressing a workers' convention in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Mardan, Bilawal termed traditional politics as Pakistan's worst enemy and stressed the need to embark on "new politics".

"We need to [embark] on a new political [direction and strategy] which will allow us to overcome the issues faced by the country."

While talking about modern-day politics and its benefits, the PPP leader said: "We have to become the voice of the 'new politics' [...] We think about the present and future and not what's in the past."

"Veteran politicians neither think about the present nor the future [as] they are still stuck in the past. We want to leave behind the politics of division, hate and abuse which [as part of] the traditional politics has been going on for the [past] 70 years," the politico added.

This is not the first time the PPP chairman — without taking any names — has taken a jibe against the PML-N and the party's possible prime ministerial candidate Nawaz.

A day earlier, while speaking in Abbottabad, he had stressed the need for new leadership and new politics to overcome various crises the country is suffering from.

Nawaz — who returned to Pakistan after ending a four-year self-imposed exile in October — faces an uncertain future with regard to his possible participation in elections due to legal issues — as he had been disqualified from holding public office.

Responding to the criticism of the party's slogan and manifesto, the Bilawal said that it is often said that these are old and exhausted slogans and that the PPP should rely on something new.

"Today the country suffers from historical inflation, poverty and unemployment levels due to prevalent economic turmoil," he said, adding, "Our competition is with inflation, unemployment and poverty. We have to take the country forward [into the future] in a new [and reformed] way.

"The country is still plagued with [exuberantly high] inflation and unemployment [...] And so our slogan [and manifesto] will remain unchanged.

"Our slogan and manifesto will succeed on February 8 [and] the next prime minister and chief minister [of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa] will be ours as well."

Announcing that the party will kick off its election campaign "soon", the ex-minister said: "Everyone can see that the PPP will win in the upcoming polls."