Centre lacks mandate to make unilateral decisions: Bilawal

SUKKUR: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed dissatisfaction over failure by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) to meet the promises made to his party, saying the government does not have the mandate to make unilateral decisions.

While speaking to the media in Ratodero, Bilawal said the PPP had supported the government to the extent of voting for the prime minister and it was agreed that provinces should get their due rights. But the commitments, such as forming a collective Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for all the provinces, were not fulfilled.

He said that his party had established a committee with the federal government and PMLN to address key issues before presenting a report to the Central Executive Committee (CEC). However, meaningful progress was not made, and the commitments made on a political basis were not implemented effectively. Bilawal stressed that the federal government needed to work collaboratively with the provinces to ensure they receive their rights. He hoped that the PPP’s grievances would be taken seriously and that constructive dialogue could help resolve provincial objections and fulfill political promises.

“The government does not have the mandate to make unilateral decisions, nor does it hold a two-thirds majority in parliament akin to the 1990s. They might think they don’t need to consult anyone, but the ground reality is different. They have the mandate to make collective decisions with political stakeholders, not unilateral ones, especially on critical issues like water rights, which violate the 1991 water pact,” the PPP chairman said

He urged the government to adopt an inclusive approach for the success of any project.

“Ignoring objections and proceeding unilaterally will only make projects controversial. Collaborative planning, after understanding everyone’s perspective, is key to success. Otherwise, as with the Kalabagh Dam project, unilateral decisions will fail,” he said.

He pointed out the government’s ambitious goal of making Pakistan a trillion-dollar economy and questioned its feasibility without leveraging the agriculture sector which, he described, as the backbone of Pakistan’s economy.

The PPP chairman said the massive turnout at the grand public gathering in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh clearly shows that even after 17 years, the people continue to stand firmly with the ideology of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Bilawal castigated the federal government over “slow internet speed” in the country, wondering why fish only cut Pakistan’s undersea fibre optics cable.

“PMLN’s politics is based on motorways [...] infrastructure for our generation is digitalisation, internet and its speed,” Bilawal said. Bilawal — whose party is an ally of the PMLN in Centre — said they should have increased the internet speed instead of reducing it. “How can the government retract from its own statements,” he asked, noting first they claimed the internet cable had been cut, later they retracted it.

“Why bother with VPNs when the public doesn’t even have reliable high-speed internet?” the PPP chairman asked. In response to a question, the PPP chairman said that the economy was performing better “on paper”, which his party welcomes. “If the economy is improving, its benefits should reach the people,” he added.

When asked about the pro-Imran Khan statements by the US politicians, Bilawal termed them “political statements” and said those who are doing politics under the pretext of US conspiracy were “dangerous for Pakistan and its people”. “Such people who play politics on conspiracies instead of focusing on public issues are dangerous for the country,” he added.

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) Sindh General Secretary Maulana Rashid Soomro met President Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PPP Women Wing Central President Faryal Talpur at the Naudero House in Larkana.

Besides the country’s political situation, discussion was also held between them regarding the madrasa registration bill as well as construction of canals from the Indus River.

When contacted, Soomro said Zardari and Bilawal expressed their determination to immediately remove the concerns of JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the madrasa bill and to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

He appreciated the role of Sindh government and Sindh Police in arresting the killers of his martyred father.