Only PPP can make south Punjab a province: Bilawal

LAYYAH: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday said the past practices show that “the PPP is the only party which can create a province in south Punjab.”

Addressing a public meeting here at the Layyah Milad ground, he said some people were fooling people in the name of south Punjab province but they were not loyal to the cause of creating a province.

He said Imran Khan was a fair-weather friend and ‘Shobaz’ (Shahbaz) Sharif destroyed the farmers in Punjab with a faulty wheat procurement drive, which failed to provide any relief to growers.

He said “Imran Khan always changes his stance according to the situation. He is not sincere with people. He demanded an administrative unit in Lahore, but later on promised creation of the south Punjab province in 100 days.”

The PPP chairman said the leaders of Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz were only fooling the people on the pretext of creation of province as the Election 2018 is round the corner.

He said Imran Khan always made false promises and he did not follow his commitments made with the people. He promised elimination of terrorism in 90 days from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP). He promised improvement of education and health infrastructure in KP, but he failed to fulfill even a single promise. The PTI lacks capacity and potential to serve the people because PTI's intentions are not positive.

Bilawal said history was a witness that the PPP had delivered matchless goods for peasants and working classes compared with other political parties. He said neither he wants to talk on why he is ousted nor he will 11 discuss fillers of the PTI, but he will make the people of Layyah recall the services provided to them by the PPP in the past.

Bilawal said the PPP was more committed to the creation of south Punjab and it had taken the initiative six years ago. He said the PPP had deep association with the masses in term of language, culture and common history. He said that the Layyah district had been associated with the PPP since 1970 and it had always demonstrated political wisdom and consciousness.

Speaking on the occasion, former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said the PPP always brought about pro-people reforms in the country. He promised that if people would elect the PPP candidates, it would extend the Benazir Income Support Programme to all districts of Punjab and double the financial assistance under the BISP.

PPP South Punjab President Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood said that the PPP was a true representative of the masses. Senior PPP leader Nawabzada Iftikhtar said the PPP had been united under the leadership of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

PPP Layyah District President Ramzan Bhallar said that he was proud of his association with the PPP because it is the party of martyrs.

Our Lahore correspondent adds: Demanding a fair probe into an attack on Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged the political forces to get united against terrorism and politics of hatred.

He was talking to the media at the Services Hospital, where he had gone to inquire about the health of Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

He also said the PPP would challenge the decision in which bail was granted to five accused of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.

The PPP chairman said the assassination attempt on Ahsan Iqbal was highly condemnable and said we all must get united against terrorism and politics of hatred.

Bilawal said since day one, he had been voicing against terrorism while sensing that an atmosphere was being created against Pakistan in the entire world. He said when he expressed concern over the growing intolerance and terrorism in Pakistan, he was declared a sentimental person. But it was not a personal but a collective problem confronting the country, he added.

He said that all stakeholders had developed a consensus over the National Action Plan with great difficulty. Therefore, all the political forces should exhibit a zero tolerance policy against terrorism. He claimed that the Sindh government had implemented NAP more than anyone else, but not as much as he desired.

He stressed strict implementation of the National Action Plan.

Bilawal, to a question, asked that what message had been conveyed while granting bail to Benazir Bhutto’s ‘assassins’. He said all the five accused had confessed that they had no remorse on the act and despite that, they were granted bail.

Meanwhile, Qamar Zaman Kaira, the head of PPP Central Punjab, while addressing a ceremony on Thursday, said that Bilawal Bhutto was a beacon of light for the youth of the country.