Daily Times

SUKKUR: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Friday said his party has always fought against ‘non-democratic forces’ and the ‘political ladlas’, a private TV channel reported.

“PPP’s fight has always been against non-democratic forces and the ‘political ladlas’ (blue-eyed boys) that have been pampered under the patronage of such forces. First, we were fighting against one ladla and now another has stepped onto the battleground,” the PPP chief told a gathering organised to mark the 51st foundation day of the party. “But this is an ‘anokha ladla’ (rare favourite) who when wanted the moon to play with, was given the whole country. The games he is playing today will lead to consequences no different from those brought about by ladlas of the past,” he added. “This ladla steals first and then also thumps his chest to show off. He says one thing in the morning and another at night, only to turn his back against both later. He takes U-turns upon U-turns and then says ‘without U-turns there can be no leadership,'” Bilawal continued in criticism of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said people’s faith had never before plummeted the way it had this time around when even before 100 days were up, people were fed up with ‘Naya Pakistan’s doings’.

“[The burden of] inflation has broken the back of the people. There is shortage of gas, electricity, power. Unemployed youth are disappointed with life itself. Economic murder of farmers is being committed. There is no sign of the economy recovering. And this government refuses to get down from containers,” he said, lambasting the government’s performance in first 100 days. “They [the PTI government] took refuge in accountability to further their politics of revenge. They defamed their political opponents and then shut down the accountability commission in KP. Billion-tree tsunami corruption and Peshawar metro bus corruption files were closed. Those faced with legal cases were made ministers,” he added.

“They talked about bringing a revolution in 100 days. Now 100 days have passed but nothing has been done regarding South Punjab,” Bilawal pointed out. “The promise has turned out to be a lie … the golden dream has been sold for a few ministries,” he lamented.

Further censuring the PTI, Bilawal said on the one hand people are being evicted out of their homes and businesses are being destroyed and on the other, the government is glorifying putting up tents for people. “100 days in power have been nothing but 100 days of U-turns … if the prime minister considers U-turns such an integral part of leadership, he should take U-turns on inflation, expensive gas and power and on negative politics,” he suggested.

Speaking about how religion was being infused with politics and how it remained the foremost challenge that Pakistan was up against, Bilawal said, “Despite the fact that a democratic political system is a society-wide matter, history stands witness to the fact that when dictators sought to give some form or shape to their fake politics, they used religion to advance their agenda.” “The repercussions of this are being borne by everyone even today. Today the whole country is burning in a fire that was set by these dictators. This fire is the fire of extremism, terrorism, and intolerance which has engulfed the entire society. We have to extinguish these flames. We have to save Pakistan. We have to fulfil the promise made by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto,” he declared.

In the same breath, he said that the current government will not be able save Pakistan because it does not own up to the issues that stand before them. “We will not be able to extinguish these flames until our prime minister does not consider extremism and terrorism his personal mission. You tell me, when on Martyrs Day the prime minister stands before the heirs of the martyred and says ‘this war is not our war’, then one can only imagine what the families must have gone through,” he said. “Khan sahab I ask you: What was their sacrifice for? Did they not fight this war to protect Pakistan and ensure its safety?”

Former president Asif Ali Zardari, Khursheed Shah, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Aitzaz Ahsan, Nisar Khuro also addressed the supporters.

Published in Daily Times, December 1^st 2018.