Daily Times

GHOTKI: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Friday said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif was harming democracy in an attempt to cover his own blunders.

“Democracy is not in danger, however,” the PPP chief told reporters in separate briefings at Mirpur Mathelo and Ghotki.

To a question, the PPP chief said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was involved in a ‘strange’ politics. “On one side he speaks against corruption and on the other he roams around with a provincial chief minister who was dismissed over corruption charges,” Bilawal said, in an apparent reference to Mumtaz Bhutto. “Imran Khan is also indulged in politics of lies. He said he will not vote for PPP man in Senate elections but then his party voted for our candidate for the deputy chairman slot,” he added.

Bilawal alleged that PPP’s opponents were doling out state-owned entities like Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) to their ‘friends’. Claiming that the political rivals were involved in the politics of the rich, he said, “They introduce tax amnesty schemes for the rich and also exempt them from paying taxes as well as debts.”

Stating that the PPP always worked for the poor, he said, “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took land from the feudal lords and gave it to the poor.” He further said, “We initiated the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to help poor women but they [opposing parties] are trying to snatch their rights and want to abolish the programme.”

Responding to a question, Bilawal said Karachi’s mayorship and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) were with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). “MQM leaders are now fighting with each other … neither themselves do any work nor let anyone else do,” he added. “Everyone knows who was behind politics of violence in Karachi. For the first time in next general elections, people of Karachi will freely elect candidates of their own choice,” he said. “We are preparing for the upcoming elections and will fight against all the political parties,” he added.

Published in Daily Times, April 7^th 2018.