Actual contest between ‘tiger’ and ‘arrow’: Bilawal

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday said the actual contest would take place between the “tiger” and “arrow”, which are the electoral symbols of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and PPP respectively.

Addressing a public rally here, Bilawal said the PPP government would abolish 18 ministries and subsidies amounting to Rs500 billion being given to the elite class.

Vowing to bring an end to the politics of hatred, he advised the people to vote for candidates of his party. “It’s up to you to decide how you would like to spend the next five years,” he said, urging the people not to waste their votes on those who wanted to promote hatred.

Bilawal said that February 8 was the day to reject the forces which were out to cause divisions. He said the country was passing through a critical phase of its history, but the rivals were not assessing the ground realities. “The country has been facing the worst kind of poverty, inflation and joblessness,” he added.

Bilawal said floods had played havoc in Dera Ismail Khan and southern Punjab, adding the PPP, if voted to power, would spare no effort to rebuild the damaged infrastructure and provide relief to flood-stricken people. He said the PPP was representing the poor, while the rest of politicians were busy protecting the interests of the elite.

Thanking the people of Dera Ismail Khan for their unflinching support, he said they voted for the PPP over the last three generations. He said the ones, who were using the pretext of harsh weather to delay the general election, had lost their lame excuse. He said the brave workers of PPP were present in the field despite the fresh wave of terrorism in the country.

Shedding light on the election manifesto of PPP, he said the party would work harder to come up to the expectations of people and would not let them down. “We will take steps to end inflation and increase the income of poor,” he promised.

Reiterating the pledge to provide 300 free electricity units to poor households, the PPP leader said his party would give ownership rights to the residents of Katchi Abadis and rebuild homes destroyed by floods.

PPP leader and candidate for NA-44 Faisal Karim Kundi also addressed the gathering.

Asim Yasin adds from Islamabad: Meanwhile, Bilawal reiterated his challenge to former prime minister and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif for a live debate before February 8 elections, saying that another day goes by and Nawaz still refuses to accept PPP’s invitation to have a live debate of prime ministerial candidates before the polls.

The PPP chairman took to ‘X’ and said it seemed who wanted to be 4th time prime minister was too cowardly to face him in a debate and allow the people of Pakistan an opportunity to make an informed choice on the election day.

Since the election campaign started, Bilawal had been challenging the PMLN supremo for a live debate before February 8 elections.

Separately, addressing a PPP election rally in Kahuta on Tuesday, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari said the country was in a bad condition before the PPP came to power, adding that the party that brought the country out of crises at that time would once again with its wisdom help it to emerge from the current quagmire.

“On my way to Kahuta I saw people on the streets raising the slogan of Jeay Bhutto. The people of Kahuta have immense love for the party and its leadership,” he said.

The former president said that the road to Kahuta was dilapidated. “The first thing the party will do is to construct this road. I know the problems of people living in the area,” he said. “Trees are being cut because you do not have gas and we will provide gas to the area. We will build a university and medical college as well as a hospital,” he said.

Zardari said that the Jiyalas of Kahuta have to stamp the symbol of ‘arrow’ on February 8 to guarantee the country’s prosperity and progress. He hoped that Mehreen Anwar Raja would win with the support of people of the area. “She stood with me in tough times,” he said.