F.P. Report
KHUZDAR: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that only his party can face the external challenges along with solving the internal problems of the country. He pointed out that President Asif Ali Zardari had pioneered the development of Balochistan province in the form of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), but Nawaz Sharif changed the direction of the Corridor as soon as he became the Prime Minister for the third time and prevented the country’s most backward province from moving towards a new destination of prosperity.
According to the press release issued by Media Cell Bilawal House, the PPP chairman, while addressing a mammoth public meeting here on Thursday in connection with the election campaign, said that those forces are targeting his party, who do not want it to form the government in Balochistan and the federation, because they know that if Bilawal Bhutto Zardari becomes the Prime Minister and a Jiyala becomes a Chief Minister in Balochistan, all their conspiracies will fail. “They know that Baloch blood runs in my veins, they know that the way I feel the pain of Balochistan, no other politician does. They know that I am the son of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and I understand the pain of the martyrs of Balochistan, and I am aware of the problems of Balochistan. They know that I will not only fight the terrorists, but at the same time solve the problem of missing persons,” he added.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that his party does politics without discrimination, and it is neither afraid of anyone nor bows down to anyone. “We stand on our feet and fight every force, and do not bargain on the rights of the people,” he added. He pointed out that if the 18th Amendment, NFC Award and The Aghaz-e-Huaqook-e-Balochistan Programme, inititiated by the President Asif Ali Zardari, had been fully implemented, all conspiracies being hatched in and around Balochistan would have ended. He said that the real problems of the people of Balochistan are unemployment, poverty and inflation.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the PPP was the only party which would not only fight the real problems of the people but also win over them, adding that is why once again PPP is the target of terrorists. “There have been frequent attacks on PPP ticket holders in the last few days,” he said, adding that one attack was carried out in Mastung, two in Turbat, one on Asghar Rind and the other on Zahoor Buledi, while in addition attacks were made in Bolan. “Our party’s former provincial president Ali Madad Jatak was attacked in Quetta, and Agha Shakil Durrani was attacked in Khuzdar. They (terrorists) thought that I and the PPP would be scared, but this is their mistake,” he said.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that like other provinces of the country, there will be “rain of Arrows” in Balochistan on February 8. “I want to tell the women of Balochistan that my mother is no more in this world, but I promise that I will serve you the same way a son does his mother. I want to tell the youth that I am also young like you and will represent you. Our relationship with you is not of one election, but of three generations. If I reach parliament as your voice, the people of Balochistan know that their representative is sitting there. If I become the Prime Minister, the people of Balochistan will know that their representative, their brother and son is sitting in the Prime Minister’s House,” he added.
Talking about the challenges facing the country, the PPP chairman said that the people are bearing the burden of the deteriorating economic situation of the country, the issue of rising terrorism, uncontrolled inflation, unemployment and poverty only because of the politicians of Lahore. “I am doing politics with a new thinking. Our 10-point manifesto is my agreement with the people,” he said, adding that he would abolish 17 ministries of the Center and transfer Rs300 billion spent annually on these departments to the welfare projects of the people. He reiterated that he would also stop giving Rs1,500 billion every year to the elite under the guise of subsidy and would also invest such huge amount for public development, and assured the nation that he would double the salaries if he becomes the Prime Minister of the country, increase the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) and provide interest-free loans to women for business, build 3 million houses for poor families, provide 300 units of solar power free of cost, Benazir Kisan Card, Benazir Mazdoor Card and Benazir Youth Card for financial assistance to farmers, laborers and youth will be launched, and hunger eradication programs will be started at the union council level.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appealed to the people of Balochistan to maintain their distance from the politics of terrorism, and added: “Don’t allow anyone else to do injustice to our children and women. Quaid-e-Azam had created this country and established Pakistan without firing a single bullet.” He vowed that he would solve the issue of missing persons and continued: “I will explain to them that the federation cannot run like this. I am sad that the way the caretaker government engaged the protesters in Islamabad was undemocratic.” He said that not all problems can be solved at gunpoint. He said that some forces conspire so that the people of Pakistan fight among themselves. He warned that just as conspiracies are taking place inside the country, conspiracies are also being hatched abroad, adding that we will engage all our neighbouring countries, and it is at the discretion of the people to do business with those countries.
