‘Time is up for Imran’

GHARHI KHUDA BUX: Co-Chairperson Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday urged his party workers to march on Islamabad and oust the government, as it had pushed the country 50 years back and no more time could be given to it.

He was addressing the party workers and supporters on the 40th death anniversary of former prime minister and the PPP founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) here. Criticising the government’s economic policies, Zardari said the prices of items of daily use had skyrocketed, making the common man’s life extremely miserable.

“They don't care about the poor, the labourers and the farmers. We can't give them more time, we have to march on Islamabad for the sake of country,” he said.

He asked the masses to prepare for the march. “We will not stage a sit-in like them (PTI) and will continue sleeping on the roads till they resign."

“He says the government does not have sufficient funds. If he can’t collect taxes through the FBR, then he had better pack up," the PPP leader retorted.

Zardari said, “Before the elections, I had told you that they want to repeal the 18th Amendment. At the time, some friends believed me, while others poked fun. That's why they are lodging cases against us.”

Picking threads from Zardari’s tirade, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said justice in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s case was yet to be delivered.

Calling it the darkest chapter of the country’s history, Bilawal said, “Today is the 40th year of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's judicial murder. Questions need to be addressed as to why the protector of the poor was murdered. Shaheed Bhutto brought 90,000 prisoners back home and turned this country into an atomic power. Was all this a crime?"

He said former president Asif Ali Zardari had submitted a legal request eight years ago seeking answers to the murder of our founding chairman. “Why the goddess of justice goes to sleep when deciding about the PPP?"

Criticising the government, Bilawal warned the prime minister against repealing the 18th Amendment.

“I will kick your government out if you tried to repeal it. The ‘selected’ prime minister claims that the country has gone bankrupt because of the 18th Amendment, but the resident of the PM House should understand that only strong provinces can guarantee a stronger Federation,” he added.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan says he doesn't want Sindh. Sindh doesn't need you either. You only want to usurp the resources of the province and its gas. He has forfeited Rs120 billion of Sindh and wants to destroy the province by reducing the NFC Award. He is doing the same to all the other provinces,” Bilawal continued.

On the PTI’s economic performance, the PPP chairman said: "The PTI has absolutely done nothing except unleashing the tsunami of inflation. The people can no more afford basic necessities and that’s what the finance minister meant by saying their economic policies will make the people scream.”

Bilawal said what kind of afinance minister admits ignorance about agriculture and if that’s true, what he’s doing there. "When we try to show them the mirror, they start NAB Gardi. But they cannot cow down the grandson of Bhutto and the son of Benazir or PPP workers; we will together complete their mission."

Bilawal said the cases against him were based on "false allegations" and claimed that he was not given a fair chance to defend himself in the court. "I have not been able to record my statement before any court. All I get is three minutes [to speak] before the court and then they say 'this is something we never heard'. I want to ask the honorable judges to summon old transcripts and recordings."

Bilawal asked why the Supreme Court had taken a suo motu notice of the fake bank accounts case. "The suo motu is only exercised in cases of human rights or legal complications. We were told that the pace of cases was slow though it was being heard in a banking court and the FIA has even presented an initial challan. Why the same argument does not apply to the cases of Musharraf’s treason, missing persons, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto murder cases, Nawab Akbar Bugti and Asghar Khan cases and trial of 12th May massacre?"

He said the 2018 election was thoroughly rigged and the people’s mandate was stolen and the Form 45 disappeared. Bilawal asked why their cases were being shifted to Rawalpindi. He said the Sindh Assembly speaker was arrested from Islamabad in a false case.

He said the prime minister did not speak against the banned organisations and terrorists, but attacked the opposition. “Our people do not have the right to bail but terrorists are given an NRO. When I point out that the National Action Plan is not being implemented and that some federal ministers have close ties with militants, I am dubbed an enemy."

Bilawal said when he demanded the removal of three ministers for their links with terrorists, the prime minister inducted a person nominated in Daniel Pearl and Benazir's murder cases as a federal minister.

"They cannot tolerate Benazir, so much so that they want to remove her name from the Benazir Income Support Programme. They actually want to end the programme but Benazir is not a person, she is a mission," he added.