Daily Times

DADU: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Sunday said that his party will defeat the ‘manufactured’ alliances made against it in the upcoming general elections.

While addressing a rally here, the PPP chief, in an apparent jibe at the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), said that ‘manufactured’ alliances were also made against her mother Benazir Bhutto in the past. “I don’t do the politics of curses. I am doing the politics of ideology and principles,” he said.

Bilawal said PPP is the only party which is fighting against poverty. “Our manifesto calls for ensuring rights of the poor,” he said. “Good governance is in fact serving the poor,” he added.

The PPP chief said his party had always struggled against the non-democratic elements. He said that even a week democracy was better than dictatorship. He said the PPP has always strived to solve problems of the masses.

Talking about the peasant community, Bilawal said that after coming into power, the PPP will register the farmers and issue them Kissan cards. He said through these cards, farmers will be able to receive interest-free loans. He said the PPP will also introduce food cards through which the people will receive food items on subsidized rates. He said new food stores will be opened and women will run those stores.

Bilawal said the PPP was not in competition with any political party but against poverty and unemployment. He said that no party can bring change in the country but PPP. He said he had started his political carrier to complete the mission of Benazir Bhutto. He appealed to the people to support him in his mission.

Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto strongly condemned the terrorist attack on PTI candidate Ikramullah Gandapur in Dera Ismail Khan.

In a statement, the PPP chairman expressed deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Gandapur and his driver and sympathized with the members of the bereaved families. He said that terrorist attacks on the election candidates was a conspiracy and stressed the need for curbing extremism to eliminate the menace of terrorism. He announced to convert all scheduled political activities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday into special prayers to mourn the martyrdom of Gandapur.

The PPP chairman also condemned firing on the vehicle of JUI-F candidate Akram Khan Durrani and urged the authorities concerned to provide protection to the contesting candidates.

Published in Daily Times, July 23^rd 2018.