PPP to play role of strong opposition, says Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday announced that the PPP will play the role of a strong democratic opposition inside parliament and focus on the people's issue. He said this while co-chairing a meeting of the party’s Parliamentary Party with former president Asif Ali Zardari here. The party’s MNAs-elect attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Bilawal said the PPP was resolute in its ideology and slogan that it will fulfill the promises made by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to save Pakistan.

"The PPP politics is based on issues concerning the people of Pakistan. Pakistan needs tolerance, peace and progress and the PPP will fulfill the aspirations of people of Pakistan," he said. Bilawal said the PPP will raise issues of people in parliament and tread the path of democracy and continue to fight for the rights of people.

During a chit chat with reporters, Bilawal parried a question when asked if his party will vote for Shahbaz Sharif. When a reporter asked Zardari if the opposition will remain united in parliament, he told the questioner that things will come out in the open soon.

Zardari said the PPP will continue to strengthen democracy. He said the PPP always achieved excellent results in Sindh and now it was focused on Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

He said South Punjab province was the PPP’s mission and it wanted South Punjab to develop and prosper. He said the PPP will follow its manifesto from the opposition benches. Felicitating the newly elected members, he said: “We all have to work together so that the last victory will be of people of Pakistan.”

Secretary General PPPP Farhatullah Babar, former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, former opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, opposition leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman, Deputy Chairman Senate Salim Mandviwala, spokesman for the PPP Chairman Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, political secretary to the former president Rukhsana Bangash, spokesman for former president Amir Fida Paracha,Jamil Soomro and Fouzia Habib were also present on the occasion.

Talking with newsmen, Syed Khursheed Shah said the PPP will do the politics of issues in Parliament and will enter Parliament with a new resolve. "Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will starts his parliamentary innings by taking oath today," he said.

He said the PPP struggle for democracy and Parliament will take a new historical turn on Monday (today) when the future leader of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will take oath. He said the PPP will go to Parliament despite having serious reservations about the general elections.