Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday demanded a level-playing field for the opposition parties, arguing that everyone should have equal opportunity for politics in the country.

“Imran Khan was never destined to be a prime minister … he was imposed on the nation. If this trend continues, the situation will be out of control and no political party or selectors will be able to control the wrath of the people,” Bilawal told a press conference in Lahore. The PPP will always be a part of the democratic process. he said, and reminded that Benazir Bhutto stopped Nawaz Sharif from becoming ‘Ameer-ul-Momineen’ with only 17 seats in the National Assembly. “We will continue to tread the path of democracy. PPP has always been a victim of political engineering,” he said, adding that the largest party in Punjab is PML-N but the PTI has formed the government through ‘political engineering’.

Responding to a question about speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Bilawal said that both of them are running the parliament in an illegal manner. “National Assembly doesn’t talk about issues of the people and … it has becomes a jalsa of the PTI. We have to discuss this issue in the APC as well,” he said.

Bilawal said that so far he has not given a call for protest against the government, adding that he is preparing his party workers. He said that APC will decide the future course of political activities in the country. He said his party has been fighting the dictatorship. “PPP demands to decide the case of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. When the court gives verdict supporting democracy, it is praised and whenever such decisions like the recent one are made, we will support it. PPP is with the constitution from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s time till today,” he said, adding that opposing the 18th Amendment amounts to opposing the constitution.

Responding to another question, Bilawal said that when PPP took over government in 2008, terrorism was at its peak. “We were experiencing global recession … we also faced two floods. During our tenure, we completed operation in Swat and South Waziristan against terrorists successfully. Our stance is that we want a democratic and people’s Pakistan,” he said. “PPP has given a lot to the country. When the country was divided in 1971, PPP gave the 1973 Constitution and united the country. Benazir Bhutto struggled for restoration of constitution which was disfigured by dictator Zia ul Haq,” he added.

Bilawal said the Transparency International has declared current PTI government the most corrupt in the history of the country. “Who is doing corruption now? PTI admits that there is corruption then it should also tell that who is doing this corruption,” he said. “Ali Zaidi makes money in BRT project for Imran Khan. There is corruption in billion tree tsunami and Malam Jabba projects. Auditor general has declared 270 billion rupees corruption and irregularities in government departments. Transparency International has said that there is a corruption of 118 billion rupees in postal services. Government cronies have made billions in flour, sugar and petrol corruption. This money was taken out of the pockets of the people,” he lamented.