Bilawal admits being ‘blindsided’ by Nawaz’s Gujranwala speech

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has admitted that he was “blindsided” by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s incendiary speech in a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally in Gujranwala last month, Geo News reported quoting BBC Urdu.

In an interview on Friday, Bilawal said the PML-N supremo’s decision to name names in his Gujranwala speech was the former premier’s “personal decision”.

The PPP lawmaker hoped Sharif would soon reveal evidence to support his claims. “We avoid such comments during public gatherings. No single person can be held responsible for bringing Imran Khan to power.”

Bilawal said the government had lost the trust of the masses and blamed it for rising inflation and the current economic crisis. “The country is going through a difficult period,” he said, adding that a progressive democratic force is the only way out. “Even a weakened democracy is much better than dictatorship,” he said.

The PPP chairman said his party’s fight for democracy was three-generations strong. “We are pushing for civilian governance and a strong democracy through democratic channels.”

Bilawal said the “kidnapping” of Sindh Inspector-General Mushtaq Mahar, as well as the arrest of PML-N leader Capt (retd) Safdar Awan from a Karachi hotel are both matters under investigation.

He added that there had been no further correspondence with Chief of Army Staff COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa over the incident. “I am confident the investigation will be completed,” he said.

In response to Bilawal’s comments, PML-N leader and Nawaz Sharif’s spokesman Mohammad Zubair said the experiences of PPP were different from that of the PML-N.

On the other hand, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said Bilawal’s statement was evidence of Bilawal not trusting Nawaz Sharif and cast aspersions on the PDM’s unity. “It also shows that they do not pursue a single narrative,” Faraz said in a tweet.