Had PPP not been betrayed, it would have ousted govt: Bilawal

MULTAN: Chairman of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Sunday said if the PPP had not been betrayed, it would have overthrown the government and a new election would have been held.

He said the PDM parties did not want to remove Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar or overthrow Imran Khan’s government in the Centre. "The PDM parties can’t get any success with their frivolous attitude. The opposition is not on the same page due to misrepresentation of some PDM parties. The PPP has made utmost efforts repeatedly and sincerely, first to bring a change in Punjab and then in the Centre but the PMLN was reluctant to endorse its narrative. Punjab is the heart of Pakistan and any political change in the province would bring a change in the Centre," he added.

He said that the "same page" (mantra) had miserably failed in providing a single sigh of relief to people who were facing price hikes, inflated utility bills and high petroleum prices.

Exchanging views with editors, bureau chiefs and columnists at the People’s Secretariat at Multan Bilawal House, he said the National Action Plan was not being implemented in the country. He also expressed grief over the Quetta blast. He said the PPP had a progressive, liberal and enlightened manifesto, which offered a solution to current problems.

"The PPP wants a prosperous, progressive and democratic Pakistan. Being an enlightened and progressive party, the PPP was harmed in Punjab under a conspiracy and everyone knows how it happened. The party will solve people’s problems by forming the next government," he claimed.

He said the PMLN, along with the establishment, had harmed the PPP in Punjab in the past. He said his father suffered worst torture during the PMLN rule but they ignored it. "If fair elections are held in the country, the PPP will win from all over the country. Mian Sahib was given a heavy mandate and Imran Khan was given a majority but only the PPP worked wholeheartedly for South Punjab. Doors are open to people of South Punjab for free treatment at the 'state-of-the-art' hospitals of Sindh. The Sindh government has established NICVD where South Punjab patients are treated freely. The present government wants to snatch the identity of the cultural units of the country," he added.

He said the PPP was the only party that made its worker from South Punjab the prime minister of Pakistan. Bilawal demanded recommendations of a parliamentary commission headed by Farhatullah Babar regarding provincial autonomy and South Punjab province should be implemented. "The PPP will support the PTI South Punjab bill on adoption of the Farhatullah Babar commission report," he added.

Responding to a query, he said Nawaz Sharif's return was his own will but people do not accept Altaf Hussain and Ashraf Ghani-models. "People want their leadership to be among themselves. On the first day of this government, I called Imran Khan selected in the National Assembly, which has become a popular public narrative. The PPP won the Senate Islamabad seat against Imran Khan, which was the first no-confidence vote against the government. The PPP neither believes in boycotting the democratic process nor it would adopt undemocratic politics in future," he remarked.

"In the PPP government, a bag of DAP fertiliser was available for Rs3,500 and today it sells at Rs7,000. A bag of urea, which was available at Rs1,200 during the PPP rule, has gone up to Rs2,000 today. When the PPP formed the government, prices were reduced by restoring fertiliser subsidies," he recalled. He said that expensive electricity, fertiliser and diesel had made it impossible for farmers to produce good crops, which ruined the economy. He promised the PPPP would give special packages to farmers of Punjab in its government. "The PTI government pretended to set up a secretariat in South Punjab, which has proved to be a drama. The PPP cannot leave Punjab at the mercy of the Buzdar government," he added.

Bilawal said that PPP had also made electoral reforms after which the Leader of the Opposition and the Election Commission of Pakistan became powerful. "All reforms are made by a consensus but this government wants to impose reforms instead of developing a consensus. The PDM parties are confused; they say they will resign, but if they resign, how would they bring a no-confidence vote according to their plan?" Later, Bilawal left for Dera Ghazi Khan where he addressed a worker convention.