Imran’s kitchen being run through corruption: Bilawal

CHITRAL: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Saturday that corruption was rampant in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and money was being siphoned off from the uplift projects for running the kitchen at Imran Khan’s Banigala residence and meeting the fuel expenses of the aircraft owned by PTI leader Jehangir Tareen.

He said that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was unwilling to remove the discriminatory articles from the Constitution. “A military dictator had inserted these articles into the Constitution under which Nawaz Sharif was disqualified,” he said while addressing a well-attended public gathering at the Polo Ground here.

“We had repeatedly asked Nawaz Sharif to support us to undo these articles, but he didn’t agree and has fallen prey to it,” he recalled. Bilawal said that Nawaz Sharif had fallen into the trap of using the laws against others. “Nawaz Sharif should not labour under the illusion that he would escape punishment after his disqualification. He will be held accountable for each penny he has pocketed,” he warned.

Coming down hard on the PTI-led provincial government, the PPP chairman said that he couldn’t see any change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that those who were claiming to have brought about change in the province would be voted out in the next election for their poor performance in the health and education sectors.

He said that Imran Khan used derogatory remarks against the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir that showed his mentality.

He added that women were quitting the PTI to save their honour. The PPP chairman said that the PTI ministers and lawmakers were telling the stories of corruption being committed by the chief minister.

The PPP leader said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would suffer annihilation at the next general election. “Both Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan would face crushing defeats in the 2018 polls and the people would vote the PPP to power with a heavy mandate,” he added.

He alleged that Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan looted national resources and didn’t execute uplift projects for the benefit of the masses. He maintained that the PPP would contest the next polls with a comprehensive election manifesto.

He said that since agriculture was the mainstay of country’s economy so the PPP after winning the 2018 election would take revolutionary steps to provide relief to the growers.

“We will prioritise the health and education sectors besides giving loans to farmers, ensuring equal distribution of water and abolishing the general sales tax on agricultural implements,” he promised.

Bilawal said that the youth would also be provided opportunities of employment. He said the Benazir Income Support Programme would be extended so that the poor and deserving women would benefit from it.

He said that PPP founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had served the people of Chitral and undertook uplift projects in various sectors.

PPP leaders Farhatullah Babar, Sherry Rehman, Nadim Afzal Chan, Senator Rubina, former deputy speaker National Assembly Fazal Karim Kundi, PPP Provincial President Humayun Khan, Akhunzada Chattan, MPA Syed Sardar Hussain, MPA and PPP district head Salim Khan and others were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, warm welcome was accorded to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on his arrival at the Polo Ground.