Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday demanded a free and transparent investigation into the video scandal involving Accountability Court Judge Arshad Malik.

“Something is not right when the same judge hears cases against both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari,” he remarked while talking to reporters in Sukkur. Casting serious doubts over ongoing accountability process in the country, he said the issue of judge Arshad Malik’s alleged confessional video raises serious questions over transparency of the country’s judicial system. “This issue needs to be investigated in a free and transparent manner,” he said, and stressed the need for the state institutions to be impartial and independent. “These are same institutions and judges who failed to deliver justice in cases against my grandfather [Zulfikar Ali Bhutto] and my mother [Benazir Bhutto],” he added.

The PPP chairman vowed to continue struggle for the independence of institutions, saying impartial verdicts free of any pressure will prove to be beneficial for the country.

Bilawal also spoke at length about the importance of healthcare and need for jobs in the country, highlighting the achievements of the PPP in both sectors. The federal government must provide all provinces their due rights, he said, claiming that the public-private partnership model in Sindh is ranked at number six in Asia. He said Sindh is not competing with other provinces, but other countries. The public will fight against the budget, he said, terming it as an ‘enemy’ of the people.

“We will fight till the end,” the PPP chief said.

Separately, talking to media in Ghotki, Bilawal said PPP always tried to serve masses and is currently providing all necessary facilities to people. “The Sindh government is providing free treatment to the poor across the province. Well-equipped heart hospitals are operating in Sindh which are providing all basic facilities to the masses,” he claimed.

“Like Gambat, a hospital will be built in Sukkur too. PPP government wants to fulfill the shortage of doctors and nurses in Sindh hospitals,” he added.