Zardari to be PPP candidate for president: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD/ HYDERABAD: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said after the elections, Asif Ali Zardari will be the PPP candidate for the post of President.

In an interview to a private news channel, the chairman PPP said that Asif Ali Zardari will be his candidate as he has experience needed for political stability that is linked with economic stability. “After the elections, PPP will nominate its candidates for prime minister, president, Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker,” he said in response to a question.

Bilawal expressed regret over the verdict in the marriage case of Iddat against chairman PTI and Bushra Bibi and said that one should not go so far in politics.

“I have a clear stance on Toshakhana and cipher, but I am surprised and saddened by the punishment in the case of marriage during Iddat. It is difficult for me to support the outcome of the Iddat case as efforts made in the past to safeguard women’s rights may also be impacted by the verdict.”

In a reply to another question, he said political parties of Karachi wanted to divide Karachi on the basis of ethnicty and religion but all these conspiracies will be thwarted by the people on February 8 by stamping on the arrow.

The chairman PPP criticized Muttahida Qaumi Movement and said that MQM was seeing its defeat and that’s why it was once again turning to violent politics.

During the interview, Bilawal expressed the fear of rigging in the general elections. “To this extent, we have received reports that Nawaz Sharif’s wishes and demands are quite high,” he said.

To a question, he said the re-election of Mian Nawaz Sharif for the fourth time as PM will be harmful to the people. “Whatever he says now, he will return to his old politics after one or two years, which will affect the people as always.” To another question, Bilawal said Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar did not fulfill the level playing field promises. He said the PMLN was losing the entire country and it was a dream of Maryam Nawaz Sharif to become the chief minister or prime minister. “So far, Dar Sahib has not imposed a tax on dreams so let them dream,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari added.

Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Sunday voters will reject those engaged in politics of hatred, division, revenge and violence, including those who clapped on slogans against Pakistan.

“We want to bury the politics of hatred, division and violence, we want to fight for real problems of people. These are unemployment, poverty and inflation,” he pointed out while addressing an election rally in Hyderabad as part of his nationwide election campaign on Sunday.

The PPP chairman said that the contest in the election was now between the PPP and PMLN. He appealed to the people “to foil the conspiracy to make someone prime minister for the fourth time” by stamping on the Arrow symbol on ballot paper on February 8. “If you are asked to stamp on the Kite, you should answer them that we do not vote for those who clap on anti-Pakistan slogans and take money from RAW to do politics in Pakistan.”

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari pointed out that the nation was well aware of the reality and the past of rival parties contesting against the PPP in the February 8 general elections. He said the people of Hyderabad have seen the politics of hatred, division and violence for a long time, and due to it, they have suffered and sacrificed but never backed down. “You have never bowed before a dictator, a tyrant, a Yazid, I salute you,” he added.

“You saw in the Nineties what they did with this city? You are aware of their politics of hatred and division.” He said the PPP wanted to eliminate such politics from the country and serve the people without any discrimination.

The PPP chairman said that while one party in Hyderabad wants to do politics of hatred and division, there is another party in the Federation which is doing politics of hatred and division. They have turned politics into personal enmity and only want political revenge. “They don’t care about the damage done to the country, the Federation, democracy and the economy due to this kind of politics. They only want to sit in the chair for the fourth time.”

In his appeal to the people, he further said that they should not waste their votes by voting for those who do politics on the basis of religion and independent candidates.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took oath from the PPP candidates of Hyderabad district. He also appealed to the people to make PPP candidates victorious on all the seats of Hyderabad by stamping on the Arrow on February 8.

Meanwhile, former president, also president Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Asif Ali Zardari, said inflation currently faced by the people is so high even four times their salary was not sufficient to compensate it.

Addressing an election rally in Talagang, Chakwal, on Sunday, Asif Ali Zardari said that he was among his own people. “My sons from Chakwal invited me, and I had to answer their call”, Zardari said.

The former president said the PPP will create opportunities in the country that so that everyone could earn money. He further said that he had made the commitment to serve the people of Talagang.

Asif Ali Zardari said they will provide several facilities including gas connections and infrastructure among numerous other amenities once the PPP government was formed.

He said the PPP government initiated revolutionary, internationally acclaimed Benazir Income Support Programme and doubled the salaries of government employees. “We will provide growers due price of their crops,” he said.

Also, in a statement on Sunday on the eve of Kashmir Solidarity Day, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari emphasized the significance of PPP’s overwhelming success in the February 8 general elections as a crucial step to stop the ongoing atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and advance the Kashmir cause.

Bilawal said that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had declared Kashmir as the jugular vein of Pakistan and Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had carried forward the same stance and said that if we have to fight for Kashmir for 1,000 years, we will fight.

He underscored the inevitability of discontinuing the politics of hatred and division in Pakistan, stating that fostering unity and consensus is crucial to empower the nation for the Kashmir cause. He said the Kashmir cause was made invincible by Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who made the historic decision to designate February 5 as the Kashmir Solidarity Day each year, an initiative that has now resonated throughout the entire globe.

“Prime Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will also follow in the footsteps of Prime Minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Prime Minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to take the Kashmir cause forward and will awaken the conscience of the world to fulfill its promises made to Kashmiris,” he added.

He paid glowing tribute to the martyrs of Kashmir and saluted the Kashmiri people for continuing their unwavering struggle for their right to freedom while facing the worst atrocities in human history.