F.P. Report
BAHAWALPUR: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing the Party’s public gathering in Bahawalpur, Punjab said that the Jiyalas are running the electoral campaign nationwide.
The PPP is contesting the elections not because of any personal interest, but to serve the people. Pakistan is going through a tumultuous time and is facing a historic economic crisis, with unprecedented increases in inflation, unemployment and poverty.
When Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto laid the foundation of the Party, the country was going through a financial crisis then too, the Quaid-e-Awam gave us a manifesto that helped strengthen the downtrodden masses of the country, including the poor farmers and labourers. Once again, we require a pro-people, pro-labourer, pro-farmer and pro-poor government. The rest of the political parties represent the elite while the PPP represents the common people. If the people stamp the symbol of the arrow, then the government forming resultantly will be theirs. The Pakistan People’s Party, following the footsteps of Shaheed Quaid-e-Awam is contesting the elections based on a 10-point economic contract.
Chairman Bilawal said that his first aim would be to not only increase the wages, but double them within five years. The workers of Bahawalpur should apprise the people of the PPP’s aims, which include providing free and quality education to the people, establishing an IT university in the city and nationwide.
It is the PPP’s promise to Bahawalpur that it will establish free-of-cost healthcare institutions such as the NICVD. We will begin with South Punjab, and every district of the region will get a free hospital, followed by the rest of Punjab. When Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was in office, he gave ownership to the people, and launched a ‘5 Marla scheme’, and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto introduced a ‘7 Marla scheme’.
The people should support the PPP so that it can fulfil its aims of building three million homes for the people nationwide, as it is already doing in Sindh, while giving ownership to the women of the households. Chairman Bilawal directed the Party’s workers to go to every area with temporary housing, and let the people know that it is our aim to regularise the construction and give them ownership so they too can live in the serenity of their own home.
Chairman Bilawal instructed the Party workers to go to every doorstep and tell the people that the PPP plans to expand the revolutionary, internationally-acclaimed Benazir Income Support Programme to incorporate employment, education and health facilities for the poor women of the country.
The PPP also aims to give interest-free loan to the poor women of the country so they can make their contribution to society while attaining independence. “Bilawal Bhutto’s government will introduce the ‘Benazir Mazdoor Card’ and the ‘Benazir Kissan Card’ to provide the labourers and farmers of the country with financial assistance directly”, Chairman Bilawal resolved. Subsidies will be provided directly to the growers and farmers so that their crops are insured and they do not have to bear the burden of any unforeseen catastrophe.
Addressing the youth, Chairman Bilawal said that he plans on introducing the ‘Youth Card’ to provide the youngsters with financial assistance as well as equip them with the necessary skills to see to it that they flourish professionally. The PPP will also establish ‘Youth Centers’ in every district. The PPP also aims to initiate the ‘Bhook Mitao Programme’ to combat with hunger on the level of union councils, and provide free lunch in schools, as well as look after the new mothers and infants for the first thousand days so that no one goes to sleep on an empty stomach in the country.
Chairman PPP said that he is contesting the elections on these 10 points, and the PPP will be victorious and a government of the people will be formed. The PPP is not competing with any other party, it is the party of martyrs. The PPP’s only competition is the inflation, poverty and unemployment. When given the opportunity, the PPP will show how a government can cater to the poor, farmers and labourers. The PPP is the only party that has the skills to do this, and its history is a testimony of this. It is the season of elections and the PPP is focusing especially on Punjab, and the Party will be triumphant in all the provinces. The PPP will not only form the federal government, but also the provincial governments. A Jiyala will be the CM of Punjab, Chairman Bilawal said.
Chairman PPP said that the Jiyalas of the Party would have to struggle for their victory and work hard as if it is a matter of life and death. We have all the answers to the problems that the country is faced with. None of the other parties are interested in the crises faced by their people, they only care for power and have resorted to settling scores against each other out of personal vendettas. The PPP wishes to bury the traditional politics of hate and division, and will introduce a new form of politics, the aim of which would be to serve the poor and downtrodden. One political party is contesting the elections to avoid prison, while the other is doing so for its leader to be released from jail. The PPP is the only party that is contesting solely for the people.
Chairman PPP said that when someone is out to hunt a lion, a bat is rendered redundant, and only the arrow works. This is the season of hunting, and the people have to prove that ‘Aaj Bhi Bhutto Zinda Hai’, by stamping the symbol of the arrow on February 8. Chairman Bilawal said that Ali Hasan Gilani and Hafiz Hussain are the Party’s representative from Bahawalpur, and they are to be made victorious. Malik Shahrukh is the Party’s candidate from the provincial and National Assemblies, and he has to win so that the people can be served by the Party.
Abdul Mujeeb Chanar, Naseem Shah, Amin Shah, Rifatur Rehman, Dost Muhammad Khosa, Tatheer ul Hassan and Mr. Gardezi are the Party’s candidates and will be triumphant with the support of the people. Chairman Bilawal welcomed Zafar Warraich to the Party and announced that he will be contesting on its behalf in Rahimyar Khan.
