Nawaz govt to fall soon: Bilawal

FAISALABAD: The Nawaz Sharif government would soon collapse due to its defective and unrealistic policies, predicted PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday.

He said the government would fall in the current year and asked the people to come on the streets for getting rid of unemployment and other problems.

Addressing a party rally at Zila Council Chowk on late Thursday, Bilawal said corruption and bad governance were rampant in the country which, he claimed, had destroyed economy and paralysed the entire system.

He sought the support of the working class and downtrodden segments of the society, asking them to fully support the PPP for lessening their socio-cultural and economic problems by getting rid of the present government.

Bilawal said the party founder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had announced a vision under which they could improve the living standard of the people, improve national economy and attain a prestigious status in the comity of the nations.

The PPP chairman claimed that lawlessness, unemployment and exorbitant increase in utility bills had inflicted a blow to the middle class and poor segments of the society who were committing suicides.

Bilawal said he had joined the political arena to safeguard the rights of labourers and downtrodden people who should extend their full support to the PPP to run the country according to the vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had agreed with his proposal at the APC for the formation of a committee to cope with terrorism but, he alleged, the government instead of materialising the promise, connived with terrorists and also made CPEC controversial.

Bilawal also asked the government to frame an independent foreign policy and immediately appoint a competent foreign minister.

He criticised the government for involving the PPP leaders in fabricated cases and claimed that those in the government had transferred money to foreign countries by establishing offshore companies and increased the national debt. “We would not allow them to continue with such practices," Bilawal said.

Earlier, Bilawal addressed the party supporters at various points during his rally from Lahore to Faisalabad, which was aimed at exerting pressure on the government to accept his four demands, as he left the Bilawal House to lead the procession.

He said the movement he had launched would continue till the remains of Zia’s policy were eliminated. The Sharifs had held Punjab hostage, occupied the land of the Sufis and shackled the country in caste system and sectarianism, he said, accusing the government of following an authoritarian approach. He also claimed that the government wanted to provide protection to banned organisations.

Bilawal said the exports had decreased in the tenure of Nawaz Sharif government and claimed that there was no gas and electricity in country. He said the growers were in a poor condition due to the anti-farmers policies of the government. “It is the responsibility of the government to provide jobs to people, overcome poverty and give support price to farmers,” he said.

To achieve that, Bilawal added, the end of ‘Takht-e-Jati Umra’ was necessary. He said the current rulers were preparing the control price of chicken and eggs only instead of announcing that of wheat, rice, sugarcane, cotton and other things for farmers.

“Shahbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif say that the country is making progress. How can a country make progress when sources of income are so limited?” he asked. Progress was being made in advertisements, not the country, he said and remarked that the rally had commenced and would not stop. “If you are with me... it is evident that we will have to force the Sharifs out [of the government],” Bilawal asserted.

Providing gas to factories, livelihood to people and ensuring an end to poverty was a government job, he said. "They [PML-N] will have to go,” he told the party loyalists, adding that the country would get rid of the Sharif family in 2017.

Bilawal added that the party had started preparations and was organising the workers, as he urged the youth to support him as he has come out to complete the mission of his mother and grandfather and eliminate the remains of the Zia era.

He said the PPP enjoyed deep roots in masses and had committed and dedicated workers who had the courage and strength to face any tyrant government. “It's a horrible day for critics,” said Bilawal while pointing to those participating in the rally. He said the masses had always supported Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.