Bilawal challenges Imran to contest from Karachi

Naimat Khan

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Wednesday challenged Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran to contest elections from Karachi.

“Democracy is the best revenge and we will make all accountable. We will equal all past things in elections of 2018,” Bilawal said while talking to media after condoling with family of Abdullah Murad.

“I challenge Imran Khan to come and contest elections from Karachi and face defeat,” he said.

Imran Khan on last Sunday announced that he will contest from Karachi for national assembly seat.

Meanwhile, on the International Women Day being observed on Thursday, the Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has announced that his Party’s Women Wing will organize #KarawaneBenazir rallies in all the provincial capitals and in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and FATA to celebrate the day and PPP’s achievements for empowerment of women in the country.

In his message on UN’s International Women Day, the PPP Chairman said that the commitment and conviction of the Party for gender equality and women empowerment have been fully reflective in the steps taken so far. From first woman Prime Minister in the Muslim world to Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Foreign Minister, the women have always been leading from the front in the PPP, he added.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari further pointed out that PPP started a grand poverty-alleviation programme Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) which was acclaimed and appreciated by the World Bank and other international organizations. Shaheed Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto herself established The First Women Bank and Women Police Stations and started Lady Health Workers Program. PPP government allotted lands to landless women peasants and initiated Union Council-based Poverty alleviation program, which has benefitted 600,000 women and their families so far in Sindh, he stated.

Describing PPP performance in pro-women legislation as unmatched, he said that PPP government passed laws and acts for establishment of National Commission on the Status of Women, Anti-Women Practices Act, Anti-Acid Crimes Law, Protection of Women at Workplace Law at the Federal level. Sindh Assembly led by PPP also adopted Sindh Child Marriages Restraint Act 2013, Domestic Violence (Protection & Prevention) Act 2015 and Commission on the Status of Women 2015.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that besides protection and promotion of women in political and social fields, the PPP plans to take more steps for economic empowerment of the women including registration of women farmers for their easy access to credit and inputs. Projects for Credit facilities to ladies through Microfinance and small and medium enterprises loans shall also be launched when PPP comes into power again, he added.

He said that in fact it was only PPP which has always empowered women whenever it came into power and pledged that he would continue the struggle of his mother Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to achieve her dreams of equality for women in every sphere of life.