PPP to defend 18th Amendment tooth and nail, says Bilawal

SUKKUR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Friday said his party would defend the 18th Amendment tooth and nail alongside highlighting the public-related issues inside and outside of parliament.

Addressing the first death anniversary of party’s leader Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani in Jacobabad, the PPP chairman said the popularity of the party among the people is intact and the PM Imran Khan could not dent that. Bilawal said that since the PTI could not defeat the PPP in the election, the federal government has gone ahead to slash the NFC share of the province.

He said the PTI’s government does not respect the rights of the people and is depriving them of their jobs. Bilawal Zardari said the PPP’s provincial government has built institutions like the NICVD while the PTI’s government is depriving the people of their basic facilities by taking these institutions back.

Criticising the Punjab chief minister, he said, "A top class team was prepared for Pakistan's biggest province and what was the outcome? Buzdar!" The chairman said what is the merit of Usman Buzdar that qualified him for the chief minister of Punjab? He said even Wasim Akram is asking, “What is my fault,” over PM Imran’s remarks, in which he compared the former cricketer with CM Buzdar.

Talking about the political future of Nawaz and Zardari, Bilawal said during the cricket match, players rely on the finger of an umpire, but in politics, the umpires are the electorates and PPP has large mandate of the people of Sindh. He said the country’s industrial sector has collapsed due to the unfriendly economic policies and added that the rural economy has already collapsed.

He said the entire opposition is on the same page to defend the sanctity of parliament. Bilawal said the PPP had restored the country’s constitution to its original form, and also passed law for provincial autonomy. He said the PPP government also launched women empowerment project through the Benazir Income Support Program as well as Benazir Youth Programme for empowering the youth.

Billawal Bhutto Zardari, on the occasion, paid rich tribute to PPP’s former leader Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and described him as an asset for the party. The Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Agha Siraj Durrani, Mir Aijaz Khan Jakhrani, Mir Shabir Hussain Bijarani, Manzoor Hussain Wassan, Mehboob Khan Bijarani, Salim Jan Mazari, Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh, Owais Shah, Mukesh Chawla, Dr Suhrab Sarki, Imdad Pitafi, and several others were also present at the anniversary.