Bilawal pledges resolving people’s problems through five-point agenda

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said only the PPP is capable of resolving the issues of the people of the country as his party would form the next government after securing overwhelming nationwide victory in the next general elections.

The PPP chairman was talking to newsmen, during his visit to the Sindh Chief Minister House to attend a briefing on the five-year performance of the outgoing provincial government, on Saturday. The Sindh CM's briefing was also attended by his cabinet members. “Wherever Imran Khan goes he announces new slogans and new agenda points. The five-point agenda of the Peoples Party is already present, which is important than all the points of Imran Khan. What we have to decide is whether this country is made to protect the rich or the poor people,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as he was asked to comment on the recently announced 10-point agenda unveiled by the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for Karachi. Bilawal said the PPP is still following five points given by the founder of the party Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. “We want to make Pakistan a welfare state. In the general elections, the Peoples Party will secure nationwide victory on the basis of its performance and its federal manifesto,” said Bilawal.

The PPP Chairman said the restoration of peace could not be achieved by a magic wand but the overall situation of law and order has improved. But there is a dire need to adopt a new law for police to increase the civilian oversight and check on the policing affairs, he said. He said Police reforms have to be introduced to improve its administration and interaction with the people.

Bilawal said if given the opportunity to form the next government, the PPP would like to expand the scope of the union council-based poverty alleviation programme of the Sindh government, to all of the country. This programme would benefit the low-income families on the pattern of the Benazir Bhutto Income Support Programme, he said. He said as many as 600,000 women belonging to the low-income families have been given interest-free loans under the UC-based poverty alleviation programme of the Sindh government.

Bilawal said the federal government has not given due financial resources to the Sindh government in accordance with the federal divisible pool. He said the country desperately requires a new NFC award as without it the provinces cannot achieve progress. He said the PPP's Sindh government during last five years has installed 1,700 Reverse Osmosis water filtration plants, while new hospitals and educational institutions were also established. He said the Sindh is also facing shortage of water for irrigation as the province is not getting water supply as per its share from the Indus River System Authority.